


Lack of Power for Wisdom

by YumeNoTsuzuki (Yumejin)



Category: Code Geass
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-10
Updated: 2016-05-21
Packaged: 2018-06-07 14:21:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 31,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6808702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yumejin/pseuds/YumeNoTsuzuki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>‘S-Stop it. Even though we have different mothers, I’m still your brother!’ Lelouch’s finger didn’t move, neither pulling nor releasing the trigger. He should have been ready for this after the carnage he had muddled through at Shinjuku, but... Clovis was not responsible for his Mother’s death.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Power of Absolute Obedience

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted an excuse to write Lelouch and Kaguya to be perfectly honest. This story diverges from canon at the very beginning, but key events from the series still take place in some manner or other throughout. There are a few differences in how this universe operates, so keep that in mind towards the end. It's not super ambitious or anything (also has not been read over by a beta so there might be mistakes) but I hope it'll still be an enjoyable story to read. Comments are always welcome!

_There exists malice born from kindness._

_There is also kindness born from malice._

_Is judgment inevitable in this world?_

‘But you’re...’

‘Supposed to be dead?’

Lelouch’s hand was shaking only a little as he pointed a gun at the Governor-General.

‘I have returned, Your Highness. In order to change everything.’ His lips thinned into a mocking smile.

‘I’m so happy, Lelouch. I heard that you had died during the invasion of Japan. Thank goodness you’re alive. How about it? Would you like to go back to the motherland with me?’ Clovis _dared to_ …? No… his half-brother was a good actor, but a lousy liar.

Lelouch’s grip on his gun tightened.

‘So you can use me as a tool on the diplomatic scene again? You seem to have forgotten why we were cast out. All because Mother was killed... Mother’s rank was Knight of Honor, though she was originally a commoner. She was an eyesore to the other Imperial Princesses. But to go so far as to stage a terrorist attack… To kill Mother!’

‘It wasn’t me! It really wasn’t me!’ Clovis cried desperately, his hands clutching the arm rests of his command chair so tightly his knuckles were white.

 ‘Well then, tell me what you know! No one can lie to me. Who killed her?’

He could have used Geass. But the fear, so completely overwhelming Clovis, was clear on his face. Even in the darkness, Lelouch could see that his lips had gone white and his eyes were open wide, paralysed.

‘I really don’t know. I-it wasn’t me! I didn’t do it! I didn’t make anyone else do it either! I wasn’t even at the Imperial Palace then! The 2nd Prince Schneizel and the 2nd Princess Cornelia, they might know! I had nothing to do with it, Lelouch!’ Clovis blurted out quickly, raising his trembling hands up defensively to put some distance between them.

‘They were the masterminds?’ Lelouch breathed, disbelieving.

 ‘I don’t know any more than that! But Cornelia idolised Princess Marianne, surely she had investigated more! Why don’t you put the gun down? We can still…’

‘I guess you don’t know that much.’ Lelouch interrupted him, holding the gun up straight again. If he was really going to tear Britannia down, this was the place to start. ‘I believe you, Clovis. However, the world cannot be changed with pretty words alone…’

‘S-Stop it. Even though we have different mothers, I’m still your brother!’

Lelouch’s finger didn’t move, neither pulling nor releasing the trigger. He should have been ready for this after the carnage he had muddled through at Shinjuku, but... Clovis was not responsible for his Mother’s death.

‘You are the Governor-General of Area 11, Clovis.’ He stated more to himself than to his half-brother. A plan was forming in his mind, a convenient way to gain insight into Britannia’s inner workings.

‘Y-yes, I can arrange whatever you want, Lelouch! Protection or money, transport….’

‘Very well. It’ll be a far more fitting punishment for you, who ordered the murder of Japanese men, women, children and elderly in the ghetto.’

‘I had to! There was no choice!’ He may even have believed that himself.

‘It’s not good to lie to your siblings.’ Lelouch reprimanded him with a faint shadow of a smile, then activated his Geass, finally resolute in his decision. A fresh wave of panic visibly washed over Clovis, but it was too late.

‘3rd Prince, Clovis La Britannia… I order you to _kneel. To obey._ Offer me your life and your loyalty. In return I will even allow you to repent for your sins against the Japanese. By destroying Britannia, that is.’

*

Ashford Academy was a perfect base of operations for him. It was close to many important Britannian establishments and the students there had enough freedom that no one questioned his strange habits of coming and going at off hours.

Gaining the support of Ogi’s group and the acquisition of a suitable disguise for his identity as Zero... things were not going badly. Kallen had been thrown off his trail too. Finally the pieces on the board were beginning to move according to his will. Now the only remaining unknown factor was the true potential of his power. He had to discover as much about it as possible, as fast as he could.

‘What’s with that person?’ C.C. asked. In front of them, a girl was etching a cross into the school wall.

‘Ah. So she’s at it again today.’ This was good. The duration of Geass’ power could be unrestricted, but he had to know for sure. It would be incredibly inconvenient if Clovis escaped his control before his plan was complete. Keeping his brother as a slave was cruel, yes, but he was not ready to discard him just yet. He knew far too much.

‘I used Geass to make her carve a symbol into the wall every day,’ he replied, observing her together with C.C. The green haired woman showed only a vague interest in this, but she had little else to do than to follow him around throughout the day. The army was still looking for her. Troublesome as her presence was sometimes; it was preferable to her being captured again.

‘A test to find out the duration, huh?’

‘It’s best to know the specifications of your weapon., isn’t it?’

‘I wonder if it’d work on me… your Geass.’ C.C. turned around to look at him.

Her smile was as infuriatingly mysterious as ever.

Lelouch had already established several things about his new power. In order to use Geass, one must look directly into the target’s eyes. There is no problem penetrating through things like glasses. Maximum distance is about 270 meters. After having Geass cast on a person, or when it is in effect, there is a noticeable gap in their memory. This could be damage caused by Geass invading the cerebrum. It could possibly be reflected.

C.C. had mentioned that using the Geass would irreversibly change him…

The opponent he had to face was an empire which had subdued over a third of the world, but he could not fail, not with this power at his disposal.

*

His phone rang at five in the morning.

‘What is it?’ Instantly awake, he double checked his phone screen. It was Clovis, from the number he’d specifically arranged for contacting him. He had not expected it to be used quite so soon, but this had to be something important for his half-brother to actually call.

‘Lelouch, Cornelia is planning a surprise attack on the Japanese resistance at Mt. Takeyama. She’s heading to Area 11 as we speak.’ Clovis sounded quite clearly less than enthusiastic about having to relay this information along, but the Geass to obey Lelouch must have compelled him to.

Blood of the Samurai...  It was one of the largest resistance groups in central Japan. They could certainly be useful to his plans, but going up against Cornelia would be a considerable risk. He had few reliable resources; Ogi’s group was still in disarray. They were divided between those who wanted Zero to be their new leader and those who did not trust him yet.

 His options were limited, and his Geass was useless in a Knightmare battle. If this was to be done…

‘Delay her, even an hour is fine.’ He cut off the phone.

C.C. looked up at him sleepily.

‘I’ll go as well. It’d be inconvenient if you died now,’ she said in a somewhat bored tone. Lelouch considered telling her to stay, but even one extra pair of hands would be useful if he were to succeed here. It was doubtful she would have listened anyway.

Mt. Takayama was in a suburban, almost rural area, where there were few Britannians. They would never work on farms when there were Elevens who’d do it for them, after all. An hour and a half away from the Britannian settlement in Tokyo, it was secluded enough not to immediately gather any unwanted attention from the government, but apparently their secret was out.

*

‘What ancient relics,’ Cornelia’s condescending voice carried over the open channel. ‘Darlton, stay back! I don’t need help against this kind of power!’ Clearly, she thought the array of cannons in the mountain side inconsequential, but Lelouch still had a use for them. Even a seemingly worthless pawn could be used to win the game if utilised correctly.

‘Ignore the Knightmares, aim at their stationary forces in the back!’

The communicators within the resistance’s stronghold all spoke up at once. Someone had hacked their encrypted line…?

‘How do you know this code? Who are you!’ multiple panicked voices replied. Lelouch ignored them, instead carefully monitoring the situation on the battlefield.

‘I am Zero. Listen to me if you want to live. Cornelia’s army has surrounded you. She will break through your defences sooner or later.’

‘Zero? The guy who lead the group in Shinjuku?’

‘He won against Clovis’ army!’

‘Matsuoka-san, can we trust him?’

‘Damn it,.. I…’

‘Give the order, we don’t have any other choice left. Reposition the guns. Quickly!’

Lelouch listened to the radio patiently. They would listen or they would be slaughtered by the enemy’s army. The Witch of Britannia was not known for showing mercy.

‘Foolish Elevens!’ Cornelia charged into the mountain on her own. Good. The first condition had been cleared. He directed C.C, who was piloting their only Knightmare, a Sutherland Ogi’s group salvaged from Shinjuku, to move into position.

‘You’ll find a gray box in storage room 3. Inside there are two detonators. One for the charges I’ve had planted around the exit and one for the explosives in the ground.’ He instructed the resistance coolly, though fully aware of the consequences of using this plan.

‘What?!’ a startled voice replied over the radio. ‘Are you telling us to commit suicide?’

‘Cornelia will definitely come charging in on her own. She has a Knightmare powerful enough to wipe out everyone here. If you try fighting her directly, there is _no_ chance that you will survive. When she appears, seal the exit behind her.’

‘…and then?’ another voice, the one which ordered to reposition the guns, asked after a moment. Clearly at least one person there was smart enough to see that Zero was their only hope.

 ‘Then you blow up the charges in the ground. The cave will likely collapse, but there will be enough time for most of you to escape. The secret passage to the outside is still secure; Cornelia’s army doesn’t seem to know about it.’

‘We’ll do it.’ The same voice replied again.

‘Good. There is one more thing. Have someone set fire to the coal in the chamber below. The rising smoke will delay any pursuers. Knightmares are not air tight.’

‘That’s…’

‘If you can’t do it, prepare to die here.’ There was some commotion on the other end, but Lelouch tuned it out. Whether they followed his instructions or not, he’d have to retreat as soon as Ogi’s reinforcements arrived. They had new Knightmares provided by Kyoto, but it would never be enough to fight Cornelia’s army out in the open. There was no time to save everyone. It was all he could do to gamble on this risky plan.

 

It wasn’t long before explosions and shouting could be heard over the communication channel. The radio did not handle that much noise well and it was difficult to ascertain whether his plan had worked. Of course he was confident in his calculations. Unless the resistance was utterly unreliable, they should have at least managed to trap Cornelia. The minutes passed slowly before the first few people emerged from the long, dark tunnel. Black smoke was beginning to creep out too. Coughing and screaming, men and women were stumbling out into the light, their faces covered in dirt and soot. 

‘Ogi, is transport ready?’ he averted his eyes from the desperate faces of the Japanese.

*

‘Who’s in charge here?’ Zero asked the considerably small group, when they got out of the fake military truck they’d used for transport back to Tokyo. Several of them were injured and having difficulty breathing. It took a moment for everyone to settle down before a plain looking man with short blue hair stepped up after a few people looked to him for reassurance.

‘That’d be me. My name is Matsuoka,’ he said, nervousness blaringly obvious in his gait and speech. This was the face of the largest Japanese resistance? ‘If you don’t mind me asking, why did you help us?’

‘I need people who can fight against Britannia.’ Lelouch had no intention of pretending it was merely out of compassion for the former Japanese or the kindness of his heart. He needed an army if he was going to fight Britannia. Petty terrorism was never going to achieve anything.

There was a murmur amongst the survivors, but no one spoke up for a moment.

 ‘Fight against Britannia..? All we did was leave the others to die and run away!’ shouted someone from the back. Another man, with broken glasses on his face stepped out, glaring at Zero. He was quite tall and had very straight, evenly chopped hair, clearly showing his uptight personality.  ‘I do not mean any disrespect to our _saviour_ , but we’re down to less than forty people! Because of him, Kino...’

‘If he hadn’t come, we would have all died. There was no warning. Unless you had a better plan that you didn’t share with us, Akira.’ A short woman with long bangs and orange hair in a messy ponytail snapped at him.

‘Kino suffocated before she was crushed!’ the man with glasses was having difficulty breathing, but that did not stop him from clenching his firsts tightly and towering over the woman who argued with him.

‘Kagura, Akira… please…’ Matsuoka tried to resolve the tension between them but neither looked ready to back down.

‘We don’t need someone like him!’ Akira pointed angrily at Zero and looked around the group for support, but there was little reaction. Everyone was too scared, still in shock, to truly think through the situation in detail.

‘The dead are never coming back. 80% of your group is gone. That is a fact,’ Zero replied evenly. ‘But there are more important matters. How are you going to get supplies from now on? Can you even find somewhere to move?’ he asked no one in particular. Akira looked ready to retort again, but Matsuoka held him back. ‘Most of you cannot go back to living a regular life now.’

‘You can offer us a place to stay?’ Lelouch recognised that voice.

‘You are the one who ordered them to reposition the guns?’ he asked, turning to see the person who spoke. It was a tall man with long dark hair tied back at the base of his neck. A few stray strands of it  fell over his shoulders. His eyes, though only lazily open, had a sharp and attentive glint in them. He seemed familiar somehow, though Lelouch could not place him in his considerably accurate memory.

‘What is your name?’

‘Souza… ‘ the man averted his eyes, even though he could not know that Lelouch was staring at him intently.

‘The Blood of the Samurai, as I see it, is dead.’ Zero did not mince words. There was a fresh wave of discontent murmurs in the group. ‘But Japan still needs people who can fight for its freedom. If you decide to fight with me, it will no longer be terrorism. We will wage war on Britannia. If you join me, we will fight for justice. To protect the weak and punish those who abuse power. We will not be a resistance, but a military power to fight against Britannia’s army. The Order of the Black Knights.’


	2. The Divided Front

‘The Blood of the Samurai has run thin. Japan’s light has been distinguished.’

‘The Japan Liberation Front is still well! Toudou is with them too!’

‘But the NAC can only supply them with so many Knightmares… if we lose the Burai Kai too…Our hope will be…’

‘If it’s hope, we still have it. Make contact with the Order of the Black Knights.’

‘Zero, hmm.’

‘Even if we were to give him the Guren MK-II...’

‘If we do not support him, who will? Words can only achieve so much.’

*

‘I can’t believe Zero didn’t tell us about this… even Ogi.’ Yoshida sighed.

‘Order of the Black Knights? Allies of Justice? I don’t get it,’ Tamaki shook his head. ‘Zero’s trying to take leadership here! A second-generation member like you can’t just hand over the position to  him…’ he looked up at Ogi, who seemed distressed to be suddenly put on the spot.

‘Well… It’s not just us anymore. The Blood of the Samurai are joining too.’ Ogi crossed his arms over his chest defensively. Tamaki was still glaring.

‘I’m joining Zero. He has the ability to win against Britannia. Not one other person here can do that!’ Kallen announced without hesitation. ‘I want to fight.’

‘I don’t know…’ Inoue looked uncertain. She glanced sideways inconspicuously. ‘He won’t even show his face.’

‘Who else could have rescued the Blood of the Samurai? THE JLF wouldn’t even have bothered…! What does it matter if we don’t know what he looks like! He’s the best chance we’ve got.’ Kallen glared at her.

Sitting beside them in the Order’s mobile base, Zero closed his notebook.

‘You may want to decide soon,’ he spoke up and all of them jumped, having completely forgotten he was there. Kallen went a bit red on the face and Tamaki swallowed nervously. Inoue looked away, hiding behind her long hair while Yoshida scratched his chin and sighed.

Just as Zero spoke, Souza entered, greeted by the surprised faces of Ogi’s group. Unperturbed, he calmly walked up to them and handed Zero an envelope.

‘I thought this might come soon,’ Zero stated.

‘What is it?’ Kallen asked suspiciously.

‘A love letter,’ Zero retorted, annoyed by their group’s inquisitiveness of late. Tamaki broke out in pearls of laughter.

‘That guy actually has a sense of humour!’ he cackled, elbowing Kallen in the side. She scowled at him.

‘An invitation from Kyoto,’ Souza put his hands in his pockets. ‘They want to meet you.’ His shoulders slumped lazily and he sat down beside Zero without another word, merely observing.

‘Kyoto?!’ Kallen and Tamaki both exclaimed.

‘They’ll provide us with funds if we’re accepted by them,’ Ogi said thoughtfully. ‘We should go.’

‘There is no need to make such a fuss about this. I had intended to contact them sooner or later myself. I’ll leave preparations to you, Ogi.’ Zero rose from his seat and left.

*

C.C. had agreed to his plan easily. It went as expected. Ogi’s group was still wildly curious about his face, but not having Tamaki around helped calm things down. Souza accompanied them in his place, as the person chosen to represent Blood of the Samurai.

 _Kirihara the Traitor… now I remember_ , Lelouch thought to himself. Souza was the man’s son, publicly disowned for declining Britannian citizenship after Japan’s defeat. Though it seemed that had been a ploy to allow him to connect with resistance groups more easily. The resemblance between them was only fleeting, but they both had that sharp, intriguing presence and hungry eyes, observing cautiously from the shadows.

There was one unexpected element to this visit however.  As soon as he placed his mask back over his face and all guns were withdrawn, someone knocked on the door briefly.

‘Zero-samaaa~!’ A young voice called out and from behind the sliding door, a girl emerged. Long, dark purple flowed loosely over her back and she was dressed in a long, elaborate Japanese dress, which she nearly tripped over as she ran towards him.

Sumeragi Kaguya, his brain supplied immediately.

‘I have been a fan of yours ever since your debiut!’ she announced happily. Her green eyes were staring very intently up at him. ‘I was hoping I’d get to meet you soon. Say, you’re really tall!’ she was babbling away much to the confusion of the Black Knights. Having expected as much from her, Lelouch took a breath and composed himself. ‘But it’s okay! I’ll catch up to you soon.’

‘Lady Kaguya, please return to your seat…’ one of Kirihara’s attendants stepped forward, but she ignored him, instead clutching Lelouch’s arm and wrapping herself around it.

‘I’ll go to Tokyo with them. I want to see how my future husband fights!’ she announced to the stunned Black Knights. Kallen was blinking at the girl stupidly.

‘Husband?’ Lelouch echoed, having a bad feeling about this.

‘Well, after you destroy Britannia, you’ll need a wife, right? And if you can’t reveal your identity you’ll need someone who can compensate for that,’ she smiled brightly, as if that had been perfectly obvious.  

‘Do you think we can win this war?’ he decided to entertain her for a moment.

‘Yes, because I’m the Goddess of Victory!’

‘Isn’t that reassuring,’ C.C. said from the side with barely concealed amusement in her voice. Lelouch would have glared at her if not for the mask. ‘If this is to be a political marriage, what do you have to bring to the table?’ 

‘Are you asking me to prove my worth?’ the girl tilted her head a little. ‘I see! I will become a worthy wife to Zero-sama!’ she twirled on the spot and disappeared back behind the curtain where Kirihara sat. Lelouch heard him sigh tiredly. He was getting old, if this was enough to tire him.

*

Having secured an interesting new weapon, Lelouch allowed himself to rest for a few days. The Black Knights could take care of things as he’d instructed. He hoped so, at any rate.

The school was busy with some new crazy festival, but he took the easy way out and remained at home with Nunnally. It was rare to find the time to sit down for a cup of tea with his sister these days. Between attending whichever classes he could not skip and his secret life as Zero, he usually barely managed to sleep and eat at home.

‘Brother..?’ she said uncertainly. A twinge of guilt made his stomach squirm.

‘What, am I not allowed to want to spend time with by younger sister?’ he smiled, placing a hand over Nunnally’s. The contact was comforting for both of them.

‘You’ve been so busy lately,’ she pouted a little. ‘Are you going out with miss C.C. after all?’

Lelouch almost choked on air. ‘No! What she said that time was just a lie, a joke, okay?’ he sighed. _That woman…_

‘I don’t mind… it’s just been a little lonely here,’ Nunnally tried to smile, but he could tell she was forcing herself. Putting his teacup down, he turned to hug her tightly.

‘I’m sorry, Nunnally.’

He wanted to say that he would spend more time at home, but with how busy his life had become recently, that would be a difficult to promise to make. He did not want to lie to Nunnally – his _raison d’etre_ as C.C. had called it. Everything he was doing was for her sake. Even if he could never tell her about any of it.

*

_Kyushu Block – Fukuoka Port Base_

_Old Japanese Government Declare Coup D’Etat_

‘…reports of a terrorist incident currently taking place in Fukuoka. Sawasaki Atsushi, the former Chief Cabinet Secretary and four other old Japanse government members have claimed responsibility for the attack on Britannia’s forces. With the assistance from the Chinese Federation’s Liaodong military assistance, they have cut off the land traffic network linking Kyushu, Honshu and Shikoku blocks. The Kamon Bridge has been destroyed. According to…’

‘Oi, oi… Kyoto didn’t say anything about this!’ Tamaki nearly shouted at the tv. The Black Knight’s mobile base was packed to full capacity. They would have to settle down in an actual building sooner or later, Zero thought with distaste. It was far easier to conceal a vehicle from the Britannian army, who were actively looking for the Black Knights, even if they were doing an awful job of it.

‘It seems that they didn’t know anything,’ Kent replied, putting his phone down.

The tv briefly cut to footage of Sawasaki making an official declaration, backed by a battalion of foreign looking Knightmares. The Chinese Federation had clearly been busy developing their own machines, unwilling to fall behind the EU and Britannia any longer.

‘We hereby declare the revival of Japan as a legitimate and sovereign country!’ 

‘Japan…?’ Kallen breathed. Everyone else was staring too.

‘…We think that he is making use of the internal unrest in Area 11 caused by Zero to carry his operation. We are now in the midst of investigating whether the Black Knights have anything to do with the operation.’

‘Nothing to do with us,’ Tamaki scoffed at the reporter on the screen.

‘Zero, what should we do?’ Ogi turned to Lelouch, worry crinkling his brow.

‘We won’t join up with Kawasaki.’

‘But they’re calling themselves “Japan”,’ Yoshida said uncertainly. Several people nodded, but Lelouch shrugged it off.

‘That isn’t “Japan”. There is no future in it. They threw away independence and settled for bowing their heads to new masters, the Chinese Federation.’ Zero had no delusions about Sawasaki’s ability to win against Brittania. The coup d’etat would fail. ‘Still, it is true we cannot ignore this incident.’

There were some excited and also panicked murmurs within the gathered members of the Black Knights.

‘…Are you serious?’ someone finally caught on.

‘No matter how much the Black Knights grows, going against Clovis’ army outright is...’ if even Ogi was voicing his concerns, it was time to clarify a few things for the Black Knights. They were confused and without purpose, a pitiful sight to behold.

‘Then I ask you. Who are you waiting for to defeat Britannia? Some stronger will take your place and do it for you? A chance will come someday if you keep on waiting? How naïve. Sawasaki’s faction may claim they are reviving Japan, but it’s just a front for an invasion by the Chinese Federation! If you don’t act yourself, that “someday” will not come! You will waste your life waiting and keeping your head down!’ Zero looked over the small crowd that surrounded him, judging their dedication to the cause.

There was silence.

‘I will be making preparations to sortie. Have the Guren MK-II stand by.’ Lelouch turned on his heels and left, annoyed at the lack of competence within the Order. He was furiously thinking of a way to salvage the situation, considering it from all possible angles.

 _I said all that, but the truth is I was caught unprepared for this. Should I try to use the Japan Liberation Front here? Or have Kallen go out in the Guren and attempt to strong arm the fortress in Fukuoka?_ Taking off his mask and coat, he sat down in his office to think. There wasn’t enough information to form a perfect plan. Not yet.

‘Clovis,’ he brought up a video connection to his half-brother. The Governor-General was caught by surprise and his flawless, nonchalant façade crumbled at once. ‘Are you alone?’ There was some commotion at the other end and he heard some people being hastily ordered to leave.

‘Lelouch. I’m a bit busy at the moment…’ Clovis’ eyes wandered from one side of the screen to the other. He looked unsettled.

‘Has your personal army set out for Kyushu yet?’  Lelouch had no interest in idle talk.

‘…No.’

‘No?’ he repeated after his half-brother impatiently.

Clovis seemed to think for a moment before speaking again. ‘2nd Prince Schneizel is deploying his own Special Envoy from the Avalon. The plan is to break through the enemy line and assault the enemy headquarters directly.’

‘Schneizel is in Area 11?’ Lelouch’s hands tightened on his mask automatically. ‘That certainly does seem like a strategy he would devise. A single machine used to cause confusion and bring about an irregularity. Even if that fails, your army could still make a move to recover. Hmm… We have no air transport capabilities yet, but if we were to move in from the West… no, that would take too long.’  He tuned out everything, running several complex simulations through in his mind. They all seemed to be lacking _something._

‘Lelouch, I’ve got to go. The general is waiting for my orders.’ His internal monologue was interrupted and he reluctantly looked up at the monitor. Clovis’ lips thinned uncomfortably in a grimace.

‘If you are withholding anything that may help me…’ he did not need to elaborate. His half-brother’s features slackened as a red ring appeared in his eyes and he spoke again.

‘There is… an experimental Knightmare Frame I have been developing in secret, hidden on Kamine Island. It is a Fifth Generation Knightmare frame equipped with a Float Unit.’

Lelouch _laughed._ ‘This is good. If Schneizel does not know about this machine… you are not as incapable as I had thought.’ Using the Geass on him had been the right choice after all. If he’d killed Clovis and caused him to be replaced by someone like Cornelia, Schneizel or even Odysseus, the situation in Area 11 may have become unsalvageable.

‘Its weapons have not been fully tested yet-‘

‘I’ll take it. Have it transported to the coordinates I’m sending you, within an hour and then delete any record of this conversation.’ His half-brother did not know that he was Zero, but with this he would probably make the connection. Even with the failsafe – having ordered Clovis to kill himself should he attempt to reveal his identity to anyone - it was a considerable risk to take.

*

‘Are you really.. going on your own? We could take the Guren and…!’

‘If the King does not move, its subjects will not follow,’ Zero avoided looking at Kallen, who had been following him around for the most part of the last five minutes. She had used several admittedly logical arguments to try to dissuade him from his course of action and the look on her face was desperate now.

‘Kallen, you don’t believe in me?’ It was a pointless question, she had been one of his more outspoken supporters since the Shinjuku incident.

‘What are you saying!? I was the one who wanted to join the Order of the Black Knights, I know you’re the only one who can win against Britannia!’ 

‘Then there is only one answer. Watch me create a miracle.’ Zero turned around wish a loud swishof his coat and left, walking proudly. He would succeed. 

‘Zero.. what are the chances of survival.. this is madness!’ Ogi called out after him weakly.

‘What a foolish question.’ Lelouch did not turn back.

*

The Gawain was indeed an impressive machine. So impressive in fact, that it required two pilots to operate it efficiently. C.C. was the only one he trusted with this task, even though her skills at manoeuvring were still subpar. The Knightmare was easily three times the size of ordinary, mass production units, towering over the Chinese Federation’s Gun-Ru army from mid-air. They had arrived only somewhat behind schedule to find the Fukuoka fortress already engaged in battle against a single enemy: a brilliant white and gold Knightmare.  It was fast and agile, unlike the Gawain; direct confrontation would be inadvisable.

‘Missiles incoming,’ C.C. announced calmly. Sawasaki’s faction had launched an air strike against the incoming Knightmares.

‘I figured their aerial defence would be good. We can clear up the volley with the Hadron Cannon.’ Lelouch discharged the experimental weapon while he spoke.

The twin shoulder mounted cannons flared red and a stream of destructive energy burst forth, detonating the incoming projectiles mid-flight, before shutting down unexpectedly.

‘Unstable, huh…’ Lelouch was grateful for the absence of the Order of the Black Knights in this mission. There would be no unplanned casualties on his side. Below him, the white Knightmare was quickly becoming overwhelmed by the huge numbers of Gun-Ru, which had him surrounded. It would be a good opportunity to have Schneizel owe him a favour, Lelouch decided with satisfaction. The Gawain rained death upon the horde of Chinese Knightmares, only narrowly missing the target they were trying to protect.  

There was a moment where the white Knightmare struggled to move, before running completely out of power. It had been fighting intensively since before the Gawain had arrived, additionally using the Float Unit which drained energy very quickly.

‘Zero.. what are you planning?!’ the unknown pilot demanded defensively over the open channel. It was a man’s voice. The Gawain descended to the ground carefully, landing next to the white Knightmare.

‘I’m here to eliminate an enemy that is invading my country. That is all,’ Zero offered a spare energy filler to the Britannian operative, who kept weapons ready to strike even then.

‘…Then I will simply fulfil my orders. That is all.’ The white Knightmare rushed ahead, following the path of ruination amongst the fake Japanese army that the Hadron Cannon had created. The Gawain hovered above, weapons recharging. It was easy to blow a hole in the fortress’ front wall with this kind of raw and unrestrained firepower.

All the conditions had been cleared. Victory had never been the ultimate objective here.

Lelouch looked back on the battle for a moment while they retreated, considering whether it was wise to leave Kawasaki for Britannia to deal with. A connection with the Chinese Federation would be useful… but not worth risking being captured for. There were other ways.

The white Knightmare could handle the remaining Chinese Federation forces on its own, if the way it was easily cutting them apart was any indication.

*

The headquarters was quite crowded these days. It had been a good choice to establish several fake bases and a few main buildings which could be rotated in and out of frequent use. It would be very difficult for Britannia to find the Black Knights this way.

‘The Japanese Liberation Front is willing to cooperate with us! Zero’s awesome after all!’ Tamaki cried out joyously. They had just received word that the JLF’s leader wanted an audience with Zero.

‘The Order of the Black Knights has grown a lot recently… we can’t keep up with all the new members coming in,’ Ogi shook his head. He never could have imagined it if he’d been the leader.

‘Zero’s appearance at Kyushu made every pair of eyes in Japan turn to us,’ Inoue agreed.

‘I still can’t believe he went out all by himself.. at least the Guren could have…’ Kallen shrugged sullenly. Her honour as Zero’s self-appointed Knight had apparently been wounded by his rejection of her assistance at Fukuoka.

‘Say, you’re the leader of Zero’s personal squad, aren’t you?’ a new voice joined in. It was the woman with long bangs and a messy ponytail from the Blood of the Samurai who seemed particularly skilled at breaching delicate subjects with the sensitivity of a hammer.

‘Yes I am.’ Kallen bristled. ‘But who the hell are you, barging in like this and asking questions?’

‘Fujioka Kagura, I’m the best sharpshooter in the Blood of the Samurai,’ the woman shrugged. ‘What I want to know is, you’re the group that’s been with Zero since the start.. since the Shinjuku Ghetto incident.  Has anyone here actually seen his face?’

‘Of course not, then there’d be no point to all the secrecy,’ Ogi did not look at her as he spoke. He was uncomfortable with discussing this topic so often.

‘So you trust him?’ Kagura raised her eyebrows challengingly.

‘What does it matter if we don’t know what he looks like or who he is. He’s able to produce results. I’m with Zero all the way!’ Tamaki unexpectedly piped in. His opinion of Zero had changed drastically over just the last few hours. Just a few days ago he had been complaining about the man being a lousy leader, but after the Fukuoka incident he’d apparently decided that Zero was ‘Awesome after all.’

‘We’d never last as a resistance if we didn’t trust him...’ Ogi did not look convinced by his own words.

‘We’re not a resistance,’ Zero interrupted their conversation, appearing from within his office and slamming the door shut.

‘He’s right,’ Ueda Akira agreed confidently, fixing the new glasses which were slowly sliding down his nose. Kagura looked at him with disgust. ‘The moment we formed the Order of the Black Knights, we were no longer engaging in terrorism as a resistance.’ His tone was not in the least respectful, but he was not wrong. ‘We’re an army at war with Britannia.’

‘Wait, we’ve definitely increased in numbers, but… Britannia is an empire that has occupied over a third of the world! It’s not that easy..’ Ogi was clearly panicking now, his forehead shining with sweat.

‘Perhaps my intentions when forming the Black Knights were not clear,’ Zero stepped up on the podium prepared for such occasions. He had tried to explain this several times before now, but apparently the message hadn’t been understood. Facing the small crowd in front of him, he chose his words carefully.

‘There is something I’d like each and every one of you to ask yourselves. What does it mean to be Japanese? To be a nation? Is it the language? The location? Blood relation…?’

He let his words sink in for a moment.

‘I believe… it’s your heart!’ Ogi blurted out suddenly, turning several heads. He looked a little embarrassed, but Zero did not berate him for the outburst.

‘That is what I believe as well. Self-awareness, principles and pride. As long as you have a heart shaped by the culture, no matter where you live, you are Japanese!’

There were several murmurs of agreement and some people nodded eagerly.

‘Therefore, there is only one thing we should aim for. A Japan that rejects all those who misuse power and protects the weak! A country with a wide embrace, accepting everyone regardless of race or religion!’ Lelouch announced his goal with a welcoming flourish of both arms.

‘So what you’re saying is…?’ Kagura narrowed her eyes at him, but she was grinning.

‘Our first objective is to form an independent country in Tokyo.’


	3. The Path of Carnage

‘A lovely speech,’ C.C. drawled when he returned home. ‘Justice and equality, huh?’

‘I wasn’t lying.’ Lelouch sighed.

‘There’s more to truth than just stating the facts.’

‘…I don’t have the time to discuss philosophy with you.’

He took out his laptop and began the lengthy process of selecting new members for the Order. He did not trust Ogi’s group to do this – they would rely on numbers alone, while what he was after was quality. He fairly considered even the more unusual applicants – there were several Britannians and foreigners from other countries who hoped to join.

*

The Japanese Liberation Front was more trouble than they were worth, Lelouch decided. A faction had broken off from under Katase’s command and hijacked an internationally important hotel in Kawaguchiko – taking fifty Britannians hostage.

‘Why don’t you just blow up the hotel and blame the terrorists?’ Lelouch questioned his increasingly agitated half-brother. Clovis had actually asked him for help of his own accord and he had grudgingly agreed to at least look over the situation before making a decision on the matter.

‘Euphemia is amongst the hostages. She was observing a conference there. I would like to rescue her soon; she must be terrified and alone.’ For once, Clovis replied quickly. He was being awfully forthcoming with information, considering the fight he usually put up against the Geass which forced him to reply. Lelouch doubted that its effect was weakening, it was more likely that his brother was telling the truth for once and he genuinely wanted Euphemia to come out of this predicament alive.

It was also probably because he knew he could not safely resolve the situation by himself. He’d never once won against Lelouch at chess, but it was not because his strategies were bad. It was because he was easily swayed by his emotions and made impatient decisions when cornered. Recognising that someone else was better suited to fighting against the terrorists at Kawaguchiko must have severely wounded his pride, but it was actually the smartest move he could make under the circumstances.

‘This is a good opportunity to put in motion an old plan of mine…’ Lelouch muttered to himself. ‘I too don’t want Euphemia to die. She was…’ he hesitated. ‘Always kind to me and Nunnally.’

‘Lelouch…’

He didn’t want to look up to see the miserable look on his older brother’s face, so he continued thinking aloud instead.

‘I’d like to use the Black Knights here, but we only have one machine with a Float Unit and it isn’t suited to this type of time-sensitive operation. There’s no room for error and its weapons are still incomplete. However… that white and gold Knightmare of Schneizel’s might have a chance.’

‘The Lancelot?’ Clovis looked confused, but after a moment, nodded. ‘I will have it on standby.’

‘I have to make some preparations quickly. Keep the media out of this if you can.’

*

‘To the people of the Empire… and of course all the Elevens who are co-operating with us. Do you understand? My heart is being split in two! It is being torn apart by anger and grief! However, I, the one with responsibility over Area 11, cannot bend to these terrorists! Why? Because this is a fight for justice!’ The Viceroy made a public address on national television. It was his element; Clovis practically glowed with projected emotion, all part of his elaborate act.

 _‘His Highness 3 rd Prince Clovis la Britannia is currently leading his private army to reclaim the Convention Center Hotel in Kawaguchiko. For security reasons, reporters have been prohibited from broadcasting the operation live…’ _a reporter surmised the situation blandly.

‘Justice? He almost sounds like Zero…’ Lelouch laughed to himself. Clovis had always been a good actor. After carefully placing a heavily decorated and extravagant eyepatch over his right eye to conceal his Geass and putting on a wig of long black hair, his preparations were complete. He gracefully stepped out of the 3rd Prince’s personal vehicle and took a slow, disdainful look around the soldiers gathered nearby.

‘Pathetic,’ he said, not bothering to lower his voice. Several heads turned sharply to look at him.

‘Who the hell are you?’ one of the officers demanded aggressively, reaching for his gun.

‘ _This_ is all the welcome I get? Area 11’s army is a disgrace, as expected.’ Lelouch didn’t bother lowering his gaze to the man in front of him. It wasn’t worth it. ‘By order of the Governor-General, all military planning and advice will hereby be conducted by me, Julius Kingsley!’

There were some murmurs between the soldiers.

‘His Highness ordered this…?’

‘Kingsley… as in _Duke Kingsley of the House of Lords_?’

‘Idiot, that must be his son!’

‘That makes _him_ a Duke now, since his father’s in a coma after what happened at..’

Lelouch had no time to spare for the incompetents now gawking at him, not one of them questioning his identity. It was unlikely anyone would second guess orders from Clovis or dig around for information on the comatose Duke Kingsley. The power of nobles over Britannians was truly frightening. It made it child’s play to assume control over them with just a few words.

‘Take me to the Prince. This foolishness has gone on long enough,’ he ordered and at once, the leader of the present unit rushed to escort him into the command vehicle.

‘Kingsley,’ Clovis greeted him flawlessly, his well-practiced act more useful than ever under the circumstances. He hadn’t had long to prepare himself to face his younger brother while pretending to be only vaguely acquainted strangers. ‘It’s fortunate you have arrived ahead of schedule. There is a highly sensitive situation at hand.’

‘So I have been informed. Your Highness, we cannot give in to the terrorists,’ Lelouch made a show of giving a reluctantly deferent incline of the head towards the Prince and then went straight for the command desk where the IFF displayed positions of all their units and the Lancelot on standby. ‘You,’ he glared at one of the Generals overseeing the operation. ‘Bring up that building’s schematics.’

The hotel was built on a large pillar in lake Kawaguchiko. It was connected to land only by three thin bridges and by an underground tunnel which was used to transport goods. Two of the bridges had been deliberately collapsed by the terrorists to leave only one possible route for the army to take. This both simplified the situation and complicated any possible action to be taken.

‘It’s like they’re telling us where they are going to be,’ Lelouch said to himself, ignoring the still surprised stares of everyone in the room. It was like they had never seen a capable commander at work.  ‘Who is piloting the Lancelot? Show me all their information and the machine’s specifications.’

‘Yes, my Lord!’ the officer from before rushed to a computer nearby, but before he had a chance to access the database, a video comms channel appeared on-screen.

‘Hello~’ said a man with short, lilac hair and very large glasses with a bright smile on his face, quite contrary to the severity of their situation.

‘Earl Asplund,’ Lelouch greeted the man on the screen coldly. Someone inconvenient had appeared already. It had been a good decision to memorise all the nobles above the rank of Baron before assuming his disguise, despite the daunting length of the list. ‘We are in the middle of a combat operation.’

‘Kingsley, he is the one in charge of the Lancelot’s development.’ Clovis interjected.

‘Ooh? Are you interested in my Mobile Weapon?’ Lloyd grinned broadly at them. 

‘Merely trying to ascertain its usefulness in this operation. Who is the pilot?’

‘The Devicer is Lieutenant Ronald Grenier, age 25, height 188 cm, weight 86 kg. Second Nightmare Squadron under His Highness’ command! A very good part, indeed. High synchronization rate.’

 _That tells me nothing_ , Lelouch thought with annoyance. Some low-profile South American soldier was of no importance. The Lancelot did not have a long mission history, there wasn’t a lot of data to draw conclusions from.

‘Can it break through the enemy formation in the underground tunnel?’

Lloyd considered his question for a second.

‘If we use the experimental weapon VARIS….’ A new voice joined in and a woman with dark blue hair appeared on the screen from behind him.

‘Experimental weapon…? Good.’ Lelouch smirked.  A plan quickly formed in his mind.

*

‘Colonel Kusakabe! An enemy Knightmare has entered the underground tunnel!’

Inside of the hotel, the Japanese Liberation Front was busy watching the hostages and preparing for an army intervention. They had an impressive new weapon that Kyoto had sent them, which could eradicate even Knightmares with ease.

‘Destroy it! The Raiko should be able to handle it,’ the terrorist’s leader did not think much of the encroaching machines. This was within his expectations.

The first round easily took care of the enemy Knightmares. While the Raiko’s operators joyfully celebrated their success, another machine appeared in the tunnel.

‘Foolish Britannia, the result of this will be the same. Load the next round and fire at will,’ Kusakabe ordered calmly.

However, several minutes later all that was heard from the radio were screams of confusion and fear.

The enemy had evaded the first volley and was advancing fast. The time it would take for the cannon to recharge would be… Kusakabe moved, ready to warn everyone, when a loud rumbling noise erupted all around them and the Colonel was startled to realise that the floor was shaking.

‘Are they going to sink the hotel?!’ he exclaimed, his careful plan of using the hostages to force Britannia to acknowledge them falling apart at once.

‘Don’t they care what happens to them… Britannia’s royalty really is scum!’ one of the others shouted. Only then did the windows break and troops jumped in, guns blazing.

*

‘The hostages are all aboard the choppers,’ the Brigadier announced. Beside him, Clovis visibly sagged with relief for a moment. Euphemia was safe and most importantly, no one had learned of her identity. It would have been a huge incident if the media caught wind of the danger an imperial Princess had been in due to the army’s incompetence.

‘What of the special envoy?’ Lelouch asked even as Lloyd’s horrified screams filled their ears. 

‘… dead. The Lancelot was buried in the tunnel when the hotel sank.’ Someone reported mechanically.

‘My Lancelot… My Lancelot was…!’

‘Sir Lloyd, please…’ the blue haired woman cut off the video feed in a panic, giving the screen a brief and apologetic look.

Some of the regular troops had also been lost while searching the collapsing hotel for hostages. It had not been a cheap victory by any means. They were Britannians so really Lelouch did not care about their deaths in any genuine way, but it still stung the same as when most of the Blood of the Samurai had been buried alive. Losing never felt right to him, at chess or in battle. Was it just because his strategy was not as efficient as expected? The human factor was difficult to take into account.

He left before Euphemia was brought aboard. He had not seen her in eight years and truthfully, he longed to see her again, but she was also the worst possible enemy for him to face.

*

‘Lelouch?’ Milly had apparently been talking to him for some time, but he had been completely lost in thought. The Kawaguchiko incident could have gone a lot differently depending on his strategy and he could not help but replay the events of the night in his mind repeatedly.

‘Huh?’ he blinked at her confusedly.

‘I asked if you want to go with us to Narita. Shirley’s dad is working there and he’s offered us a place to stay for a while. There’s all sorts of fun things to do there. It might be good to get away from all this for a bit,’ Milly smiled at him.

‘Isn’t going out of the settlement just now a bit…’ Lelouch thought of the Kawaguchiko incident again. He was disinclined to leave for an extended period of time, despite his confidence that he could circumvent his friends and send orders to the Black Knights. The situation with Britannia was very unpredictable at the moment and he preferred to be able to act immediately if anything happened.

‘It’ll be fine, there are a lot of Britannians working there. The security is good.’ Milly nudged him with her elbow, clearly trying to encourage him to go.

‘Sorry, President. I’ve got to stay and study or I’m going to fail the year.’

It wasn’t untrue, though he had more important things to do than revision at the moment. A revolution would not lead itself if he took it easy.

Milley sighed deeply in response. She was clearly in one of her mood swings.

‘You’re been so distant lately,’ she said, not meeting his eyes. ‘Has something happened?’

‘You could say that..’

‘Did someone find about you and Nunnally?’ Milly was clearly worried and Lelouch couldn’t help but smile a little.

‘No, no. Just something personal,’ he evaded her question. The truth was, school life felt like a distant memory to him. Meeting with friends, tourist trips… those were not things he could devote time to any longer. Zero, Lelouch, Julius Kingsley… leading a triple life was exhausting. But he had a responsibility to uphold. To defeat Britannia.

Quite unaware of his heavy train of thought, the school president had started talking again.

‘Lelouch… I’ve got another marriage interview coming up. Looks like I’m unable to escape this time. What should I do?’

‘Uh…’ he did not know what she wanted him to say, but she was clearly expecting something, her gaze focused intensely on his face.

‘Why not go? It might be interesting if nothing else.’ Apparently this had been the wrong thing to say because the girl averted her eyes from him and didn’t say any more.

*

Cornelia wasn’t dead. Not even remotely.

‘CLOVIS!’ Lelouch shouted into the screen. ‘What is the meaning of this?’

‘I didn’t know, Lelouch, I swear,’ his half-brother brought his hands up defensively to put some distance between them even through the video.

‘Tell me!’ he ordered, clenching his fists.

‘…. I didn’t know,’ Clovis repeated mechanically.

‘Damn it!’ Lelouch hung up, throwing his phone to the floor. Enraged, he found it difficult to think.

How she had survived being buried alive and poisoned by coal smoke, he had no way of knowing, which only infuriated him more. It was true that it hadn’t been his intention to kill her, only to keep her out of the way while the Blood of the Samurai escaped, but he had assumed she was permanently out of the picture. This could throw all his carefully laid plans into chaos.  

The information came from a Britannian who was hoping to join the Black Knights, a man called Diethard Ried. At first he’d thought Diethard was probably a spy, but this was most likely a complete betrayal of the Empire. It looked accurate and far too important to ignore. Why now? Why Narita?

‘Don’t go. You’re too emotionally invested in this.’ C.C. entered the room slowly. She looked as detached from the situation as ever.

‘Are you going to stop me?’ he challenged, looking up at her.

‘If I have to. It’d be a problem if you were to die now.’ Her eyes felt cool on his skin, which was burning hot with anger.

‘The conditions are the same as before… I should be able to…’ he grasped at ideas, plotting how to resolve the situation, but nothing reliable came to mind.

‘You _know_ she’s trying to lure you out.’ C.C.’s eyes narrowed a little.

‘I need the JLF. If they’re slaughtered by Cornelia-‘ Lelouch slammed his right hand down onto the desk he was sitting at.

‘I don’t care. You will just have to find another way.’

‘Milly, Nina and Shirley are in Narita!’ he turned sharply to face C.C. For an accomplice, she was being awfully obstructive and unhelpful.

Clenching his fists unconsciously, Lelouch stood up and took a threatening step towards her.

‘Are you going to use Geass to force me to stay? I don’t think you can.’ He smirked, challenging her.

C.C. narrowed her eyes at him, but her lack of response was admission enough. He would have laughed about it, but she took out a handgun, aiming it at his legs. So that was her plan.

‘Are you going to throw everything away to save them? You seem confused, Lelouch.’ She said evenly. Her hand was not shaking, quite steadily holding up the gun.

‘I…’ he swallowed thickly. He wasn’t afraid of death, having prepared himself to take large risks to revolt against Britannia, but it wasn’t time yet. If he died here, Nunnally would be left alone and scared for the rest of her life, chased by enemies of the imperial family for just existing. Yes, this was all for _Nunnally’_ s sake. Britannia needed to be destroyed, but it would be naïve to think he could do so without sacrificing some things along the way. If it was possible to save Shirley, Nina and Milly, he would certainly try, but throwing away everything he’d accomplished until now, disregarding the lives he’d taken and destroyed with his Geass? Unthinkable.

He backed away into his chair, sitting down to take a slow, deep breath and center himself again.

‘Is this the path of carnage Kirihara was talking about? It’s too painful.’ He sighed.

Putting the gun away, C.C. moved over to him and gently placed her hands over his lowered head.

‘I am your accomplice; we share the same burden.’ She said quietly, soothing his nerves.

There was a long moment of silence.

‘I was originally planning on destroying Britannia from the inside, you know…? I’ve had fake information on Julius Kinglsey inserted into their archives a long time ago. An old friend helped me….’ Lelouch reminisced, his pain-clouded vision clearing.

‘But with the Geass you gave me, I don’t need a path I can turn back from.’


	4. The Bloody Six

The Narita mountain range would be forever scarred after this day. The enormous landslide wiped out most of Cornelia’s army and a good portion of the city below. It had escalated far beyond initial calculations, but Lelouch had no time to stop to think about the countless lives lost.

There was a battle he absolutely had to win.

‘We’re in position,’ Kirihara Souza announced over the radio. ‘Cornelia’s unit is just ahead.’

‘Do as you see fit.’ Zero replied, observing the battle on the IFF. He could see how the situation was likely to unfold and focused on directing the more inexperienced members of the Order to deal with the remainders of the regular army. Without his instructions, they were far too easy for soldiers to pick off one by one, while Kirihara’s lot could be relied on not to do anything too rash.  ‘Kallen, are you ready? Remember to leave Cornelia alive. There is information I need to get from her.’

‘Yes, Zero. I’ve separated her from the others.’ Kallen replied at once.

To the east, six brand new Japanese Knightmares encircled a squad of fifteen deep purple Gloucesters – Cornelia’s personal unit, famed for bringing five new Areas under control of the Empire.

‘Bet you weren’t expecting that, Britannia!’ Kagura shouted vindictively, brandishing the Gekka’s chain-sword with ease. Their new Knightmares were certainly impressive. ‘Finally we can fight at the same level as you!’ Capturing one machine with her slash harkens, Kagura pulled herself towards it, simultaneously impaling it with the whirring, red chain sword. It cut right through the cockpit, killing the pilot instantly. Beside her, Akira’s Gekka was firing rounds at several retreating Knigtmares. Their pilots were clearly panicking, not able to cooperate effectively to take him down. Each shot caused considerable damage, too fast for most pilots to dodge. One of the enemy machines exploded, sending shrapnel everywhere.

‘Control yourselves,’ Souza commented mildly, severing a Gloucester’s legs from its body, and then impaling it to the ground.

‘We have a mission to accomplish here,’ Akira agreed.

‘Total destruction of Cornelia’s army, right?’

Keeping formation, they circled around their prey. There were twice as many of them, but they didn’t know what to expect from the strange Japanese Knightmares. Panic was obvious in their movements and decisions – Cornelia wasn’t present to issue orders. Guilford had attempted to take command, but he was distracted by the threat to the Princess’ life. It was unforgiveable that he’d been separated from her.

Taking this opportunity, Souza dove into the midst of their enemies, using his sword to keep their machines at bay while also firing at them with his rifle. Guilford’s Knightmare moved to the front, ready to engage him directly. Obviously the man was hoping to end the battle quickly so he could rush to Cornelia’s side, but Souza was calm and ready for each of his attacks, blocking them without a struggle. The two continued fighting even while Hasegawa and Kitamura unleashed their Slash Harkens to further divide their opponents, whose formation had now completely fallen apart. Pressing their advantage, Kagura tore through the Britannian army mercilessly. One by one their machines lost functionality - she was intentionally targeting critical areas of their Knightmares.

Elsewhere, Kallen had Cornelia pinned down. Her machine was superior in every way to the modified Gloucester, but the Princess wasn’t renowned for her battle prowess for nothing. She attacked ferociously with her lance, which the Guren evaded swiftly, as well as the following hailstorm of bullets. With a last, desperate attack, Cornelia thrust her lance forward to impale the Guren, but Kallen reacted just in time, catching the weapon with her Knightmare’s hand and unleashing the radiation wave, destroying it instantly as well as her machine’s arm, but not before Cornelia detached it from her Gloucester in an attempt to save herself. Now her only remaining weapon was the gun mounted on the undamaged arm, which Kallen was about to disable when the Gawain swooped down from the air, launched Slash Harkens and cut it off instead.

‘Zero!’ Cornelia shouted, anger clear in her voice. She had not counted on a surprise attack from above, too preoccupied with the Guren.

‘Cornelia li Britannia... I have several things to ask you,’ Lelouch could not help but gloat in his victory. It was a struggle to force her out of the Knightmare as she was quite strong compared to him and Kallen but eventually they had her restrained in one of the hidden caves of the mountain.

Silently stubborn, the Princess was ready to die. Bound, on the ground, at the whim of a terrorist. It was with no small surprise that she heard Zero order his ace pilot away and then proceed to take off his mask. A familiar face with violet eyes, framed by black hair was revealed and he looked down at her expressionlessly.

‘Lelouch…?’ she breathed, eyes wide.

‘Hello, Elder Sister,’ Lelouch stood in front of Cornelia, a gun in his hand. This time, he was ready to pull the trigger if necessary.

‘You’re… Zero,’ she swallowed heavily. She was clearly thinking fast and Lelouch let the information sink in for a moment. She would not be leaving here with that information so there was no danger in letting her consider and understand the implications of this fact.

‘What do you know about Mother’s death?’ he asked eventually, resolved to get the truth this time.

She was quiet for a moment, her eyes downcast.

‘I see… this is all because of Lady Marianne’s death… revenge against Britannia?’

‘Answer my question.’ He brought the gun closer to her head.

‘That day, she told me to leave. She said she didn’t need bodyguards there. It seemed like she was meeting someone… but when I tried to investigate it, all the leads had disappeared. Someone within the palace must have covered it up…’ Cornelia’s voice was full of regret, even though she spoke quite calmly.

‘She was meeting someone? But then why was Nunnally there…?’  he was mentally going over everything he knew of that day. Something did not make sense.

During the brief moment of his inattention, Cornelia lunged forwards and yanked the gun out of his hand, knocking him over. Now he was the one on the ground with the threat of a bullet to his head. She was always quite brilliant, he couldn’t deny that.

‘I’m going to take you to the Emperor. He’ll know what to do with you,’ she said with obvious determination on her face. ‘Get up.’

‘I’m the one giving orders here, Cornelia,’ Lelouch replied coldly. He knew she wouldn’t shoot him. If she was going to, she would have done so already. She needed him alive to take to their _father,_ she wanted answers about Lady Marianne’s death as desperately as he did.

‘What? You think you’re in any position to intimidate me?’ her finger tightened on the trigger ever so slightly.

‘I can be very persuasive,’ he sneered, thinking of how to talk her down without resorting to the Geass. Suddenly a stabbing pain erupted behind his left eye, momentarily blinding him. He pushed it down and refocused his gaze on Cornelia, blinking slowly. ‘Even if I told you to take this gun and shoot yourself, you couldn’t refuse me.’ He continued, trying to buy some time. Hopefully Kallen would come back to check on him soon.

There was a look of surprise and utter disbelief on his half-sister’s face for a split second, before she stood up, withdrawing the gun.

‘Yes, Lelouch,’ she said placidly and then, without a struggle, put the gun to her head and pulled the trigger.

*

Outside, the battle was over. Back in the Gawain with C.C., Lelouch focused on assessing the situation. Ordering everyone to regroup, they set out to the south, where they’d meet up with the others and make their way out of Narita. The entire southwest side of the mountain had been destroyed, the landslide had not even entirely settled yet and there were many enemy machines buried within it. It was a painful sight to look at.

Beside it, where Matsuoka’s faction had fought against Cornelia’s army, was the true image of a bloody battlefield. Weapons, broken Knightmare parts and dead bodies were scattered carelessly on the ground. There were no survivors as far as they were able to see. All that remained of Lord Guilford’s Gloucester was the cockpit, his barely recognisable corpse not far from it. He’d clearly attempted to fight even without his trusted machine, but did not stand a chance against six Knightmares. He’d been blown apart by bullets intended for buildings and other mobile weapons. This hadn’t been a battle, it was a massacre.

Zero looked over the decimated field and the remaining members of the Black Knights now gathered in front of him. No one of importance had been lost – it was their complete victory. Yet he did not feel as though he’d won.

The image of Cornelia’s lifeless body dropping to the ground would not leave his thoughts no matter how stubbornly he attempted to push it away and concentrate on the present.

In front of him, the six Gekka pilots gathered, looking to for further instructions.

‘We’re leaving. Take all JLF survivors with us.’ He turned, retreating into the Gawain. ‘Leave the dead.’

 *

Upon returning to the current headquarters of the Black Knights, Zero went straight to his office, slamming the door behind him. He did not even stop to talk to Toudou, who was the new leader of the Japanese Liberation Front following General Katase’s death in the battle. The man had obviously wanted to ascertain Zero’s goals for himself, but Lelouch had no patience for that at the moment.

He was about to take his mask off, when he was startled to notice someone else was already there.

‘Zero-sama, your lovely wife to be has returned~!’ Kaguya exclaimed happily, arms open wide and on her way to embrace him.  He sidestepped her and opened the door.

‘Get out,’ he ordered, not looking at her. After closing the door, Lelouch discarded his cape and coat and collapsed on the couch.

He was certain he did not mean to use his Geass on Cornelia. Despite how many people he’d already ordered to kill themselves, he hadn’t been ready to see his half-sister dead by her own hand. It was so at odds with her strong, proud personality that he found it difficult to reconcile the reality with the Cornelia he’d remembered from the past.

‘Lelouch?’ C.C. stepped into the room without knocking. He looked away quickly.

‘Geass is ineffective against me,’ she reminded him and leaned back against his desk. ‘I didn’t think you’d already..’ she shook her head.

‘I guess it’s time to say goodbye to everyone now that I can’t control my Geass.’ Lelouch looked down at his hands clasped tightly together. ‘…I didn’t mean to kill Cornelia.’ His voice trembled uncharacteristically as he spoke. C.C. silently comforted him.

‘There are ways of blocking the Geass,’ Lelouch eventually sobered up, his confidence returning. Cornelia’s death would pave the way for Britannia’s destruction. He had to keep moving forward.

‘.. You should apologise to the girl,’ C.C. moved away from him carefully. Inquisitively, he looked up.

‘Why are you so interested in her?’

‘I don’t want to repeat mistakes of the past.’ Whatever that meant.

*

He found Kaguya in the lounge, mingling with Ogi’s group. She looked composed, but her eyes were still a little red. Obviously she had just been crying. He was surprised to see her face him directly, her gaze still a little frightened but clear.

‘May I have a word, Lady Kaguya?’ Lelouch extended his hand and she took it gracefully, rising from her seat.

‘Of course!’ she smiled before following him into the empty command room across the hall. There were some murmurs amongst the Black Knight who seemed terribly interested, though none were so foolish as to try to follow them.

‘I must apologise for my earlier behaviour, it was unforgiveable,’ Zero kneeled in front of her, head bowed low. Kaguya looked surprised, holding her hands up to her chest.

Her eyes closed for a moment and she shook her head.

‘No, Zero-sama, the one who must apologise is myself. It was inappropriate for me to wait in your room without permission.’

Lelouch would have smiled at her refreshing sincerity, but with his mask on it would make no difference. Still, Kaguya seemed to sense the shift in atmosphere because she beamed brightly at him.

‘I’ve brought you a wonderful gift from my time abroad~’ she said happily. Kaguya did look tanned, he’d noticed earlier. It wasn’t a bad look, either. ‘Let’s go see her right now!’ she grabbed his hand without warning and dragged him off to the Knightmare hangar on the floor below. Inside, there was a big commotion – the Guren’s arms and legs had been disconnected and all sorts of wires were connected to the body. Beside it, a woman with long blonde hair and dark skin stood, lazily smoking a pipe.

‘What are you doing?’ Lelouch demanded at once, taking a few quick steps forward. Kaguya caught up with him just as he finally recognised the person in front of him.

‘Lakshata. I’ve seen a lot of interesting information about you on the internet.’ He said with amusement.

‘Did you..?’ she took the pipe out of her mouth reluctantly. ‘You must be Zero. I’ve heard a lot of things about you, too.’

‘So you went to India?’ he turned to Kaguya, who beamed back at him, twirling on the spot.

‘They’ve agreed to supply us with Knightmares and everything! Oh, but don’t worry about paying for them, it’s all arranged through the Sumeragi Concern and Kirihara family.’

At this, Lelouch smiled triumphantly behind the mask. He hadn’t had the time to reach out to Kyoto for additional support or to recruit a technician yet. But she had thought of the same thing as him and executed it successfully. With Lakshata, Diethard and Kaguya it’d be possible to restructure the Order of the Black Knights into something more efficient. He wanted them to leave behind the image of a resistance and rebuild as an organisation truly recognised as a symbol of justice in the public eye.

‘Lady Kaguya, once we have achieved our goal of defeating Britannia, I’d be glad to have you as my wife.’ He extended his hand to her with a flourish.

‘I’m so happy! Is it okay if I cry?’ the girl looked surprised and overwhelmed, almost fainting on the spot.

Around them, an erratic round of applause begun from the Black Knights who had evidently been eavesdropping.

*

‘Hmm,’ C.C. looked at him intently. ‘When I said you should go apologise I did not mean you should turn her into a convenient tool through a political marriage.’ 

‘She’ll be _useful,_ ’ Lelouch loosened his collar irritably. ‘And I won’t hate being married to her, if it ever comes to that.’

He picked up his regular phone. He’d only been checking it sporadically of late – too busy with the Black Knights. Had anything urgent come up, he’d given Sayoko-san the other number as well, for emergencies.

_19 missed calls_

They were all from Rivalz and Milly….

With trepidation, he returned the last call.

‘President?’ he said uncertainly, but there was no immediate response. After a minute he recognised the sound coming from the other side: Milly was crying.

‘I’ll speak to him,’ Rivalz’ somewhat distant voice got closer. ‘Lelouch… where are you…?’

‘At the Babel Tower… why? Did something happen?’ It was close enough to the truth.

‘I see… I should have known. You’re never here anymore, Lelouch! Is gambling really that important to you?!’ his friend’s voice had a desperate edge to it like he’d never heard before. ‘Even when Shirley is…Shirley is…gone.’

‘What?’ For a moment, Lelouch’s brain refused to process what he’s just heard. There was no way...

‘There was a landslide caused by all the fighting in Narita… Shirley and her dad were… they’re dead.’ Rivalz sounded completely defeated, his voice shaking with grief.

‘What about Nina? And Milley!’ he couldn’t quite suppress the emotion in his voice now.

‘They’re shaken but okay…. You should be here too, Lelouch.’ His friend replied hoarsely.

‘I’ll… I’ll be back in the morning.’

Shirley was dead.

 


	5. The Goddess and The Witch

Uselessly dropping his phone on the desk, Lelouch sank into his chair. It hurt. It hurt badly, but he wasn’t blinded by it like before. He’d sworn to steel his heart and do whatever was necessary after seeing Cornelia die. He couldn’t turn back now, couldn’t waste the sacrifices made. The Blood of the Samurai, The Japanese Liberation Front, Cornelia, Shirley… all their blood was on his hands.

*

‘President? Rivalz?’ he entered the Student Council clubhouse warily. Even the weather outside seemed to be in mourning as rain poured down relentlessly. ‘Nina?’

‘Up here,’ Milly’s subdued voice came from upstairs. All his friends were sitting around one of the tables, but it didn’t seem like there was a lot of conversation going on.

‘…’ for once in his life the right words were not coming to him, either.

‘Is that all you’ve got to say for yourself?’ Rivals rounded on him, a tearful but very angry expression on his face. ‘You’re never here anymore, Lelouch. Who even are you?’

‘What do you mean, Riv-,‘ he was prepared to reassure his friend with some carefully chosen words, when he belatedly registered a punch landing on his face. His head turned violently to the side and he tasted blood in his mouth. Panicking, the girls shouted and held Rivalz back, but Lelouch did not move. This was less than he deserved, truthfully.

‘Lelouch, are you okay?’ Milly rushed to him, looking worriedly at his left cheek. He flinched away from her touch instinctively.

‘It’s fine,’ he cast another look at the angry, desperate Rivalz instead of turning to face her. ‘I’m glad you’re alright,’ he murmured before turning away to go home. He did not belong here anymore.

*

‘Brother, is that you?’ Nunnally was sitting in the dining room, a book written in in braille in front of her.

‘I’m home, Nunnally,’ Lelouch smiled and asked Sayoko-san for a cup of tea before sitting down. ‘How are you feeling today? Is your fever gone?’

‘I think I might have just been sulking a little. You’ve been away a lot lately so my body reacted on its own,’ his sister stuck out her tongue a bit, laughing.

‘I’m sorry, I’ve been busy recently.’ He grasped her hands in his own. ‘I will try to spend more time at home if I can.’

There was a pause then his sister asked uncertainly, ’Have you heard about Shirley-san?... I liked her. I think you liked her too.’ Even with her eyes closed, there was an obviously concerned look on her face.

‘Yes, I did like her.’ Suddenly his cheek stung, still raw and painful and he could not suppress the hiss of surprise that escaped him. Nunnally’s hand twitched slightly in his own.

‘Are you hurt?’ she asked worriedly.

‘Rivalz punched me,’ he said lightly. ‘I probably deserved it.’

‘That’s not good, Brother. You need to treat your friends well. Then the world can be a kinder place,’ Nunnally raised her hands to his face and felt around for the swollen area. With Sayoko’s help, she disinfected the wound in his mouth where skin had split on his teeth and dressed his cheek. It was a little clumsy, but he appreciated it. His sister was too pure for the bloody and cruel world around them. That’s why he had to protect her and give his all to change it forever, he vowed in his heart. Even if he had to completely destroy it first.

While Toudou and the JLF’s remaining survivors settled into the Black Knights, he had the time to plan his next move. Forging a new organisation from three unrelated factions would not be easy, but he had to take command of all his pieces before he could easily move them around the board.

*

The Viceroy’s palace was as grandiose and lavish as Lelouch had expected of his half-brother. Clovis was a vain and spoiled man, sparing no expense on pointless decorations and spacious rooms. The throne room arrogantly imitated that of the Imperial Palace in Pendragon, although with considerably less gold on the walls.

‘Presenting Duke Julius Kingsley,’ was announced as he descended into the noisy hall where nobles loitered aimlessly, exchanging pleasantries. Lelouch had no interest in such social gatherings, but Clovis had claimed it would be beneficial to come this time. It was a good opportunity to establish his Kingsley persona in a more public setting, he supposed. Word had spread of the new military advisor who had flawlessly executed his first operation in Area 11, but few had been able to meet with him so far. Lelouch was confident that no one would recognise him, even if his disguise as Kingsley should fail. Sayoko-san, who he had unexpectedly been able to recruit into the Black Knights, had provided him with an unusual facial mask which changed his features considerably. It was truly extraordinary.

‘Here he is!’ a familiar, annoying voice called out.

‘Earl Asplund,’ he greeted the man with little enthusiasm. ‘And Lady…?’ he had to forcibly suppress any sign of surprise showing on his face.

‘Milly Ashford,’ the Student Council president bowed politely. She was dressed in a shockingly revealing blue dress, which forced him to avert his eyes immediately.

‘She’s my fiancée,’ Lloyd threw in casually. ‘More importantly, my Lancelot….!’ His face did a strange sort of angry spasm and he walked right up to Kingsley, reaching out to clutch his arms almost as if to shake him. ‘It’s almost been rebuilt, but it will never be the same..!’

‘Sir Lloyd, please mind your manners!’ the blue haired woman who worked with him appeared next to them, holding the man back. Her expression suggested that she frequently had to put up with the man’s eccentricities and complete lack of tact.

In the background, the attendant announced another noble’s arrival.

‘Cecile, you’ve seen what he did to my Lancelot…’

‘The cost of one machine as opposed to fifty hostages was not comparable to me when putting together my plan, Earl Asplund.’ Lelouch was not particularly sorry. ‘I trust all necessary funds for recreating it have been provided?’ he inquired. He was not keen on the possibility of having to face he white and gold Knightmare as Zero again, but to Julius Kingsley it was a valuable asset.

‘Yes, yes, money is not a problem. It’s the parts! Do you know how rare it is to find a devicer who can handle piloting such a machine?’ Lloyd grimaced. ‘Everyone we’ve been able to get can’t even achieve 50% synchronization! It’s terrible!’

‘If you need a pilot, may I recommend someone?’ a new voice joined them. Cecile gasped and Lelouch nearly did as well, momentarily frozen to the spot. What was she doing still in Area 11?  His half-sister Euphemia looked stunning in a pale pink dress, her long hair gracefully tied up into two buns. Only her eyes were a little tired and her smile somewhat forced.

‘Your Highness!’ Cecile and Milly immediately bowed deeply. Lloyd did not bother, while Kingsley made a show of kneeling down to kiss her hand.

‘You must be the Duke Kingsley I’ve heard so much about,’ Euphemia smiled at him. ‘I had to practically beg Elder Brother Clovis to allow me to meet you.’ She was behaving more casually than the occasion may dictate, but the Euphy of his childhood memories had never been particularly suited to politics and strict rules.

‘I apologise, Your Highness. I had urgent matters to attend to abroad at His Majesty’s orders, I have only just returned,’ he lied smoothly. ‘If there is anything you wish of me, I shall do my utmost not to disappoint you.

‘Oh my,’ Euphemia laughed. ‘I just wanted to thank you for saving my life. I was amongst the hostages at Kawaguchiko..’ she lowered her gaze.

Lelouch felt a tight knot form in his stomach. She was … thanking him? The one who killed her beloved sister?

‘I was merely performing my duties as military advisor,’ he replied, pushing the guilt away. He was Julius Kingsley at the moment. ‘There is no need to thank me, Your Highness.’

Euphemia looked flustered for a moment. While she fumbled searching for words and trying to find a way to resume conversation, Lelouch looked over to Clovis, whose blue eyes had been watching them carefully. What was going through that man’s head?

‘So… a pilot for the Lancelot!’ the Princess beamed at Lloyd. ‘There is an Honorary Britannian who… ‘

‘I must meet him at once!’ Lloyd was positively salivating at the thought of a new devicer for his toy.  He practically dragged Euphemia away, for which Lelouch was quietly thankful. She was the worst enemy for him to face. Her kindness was a dangerous weapon which he did not know how to handle.

‘She just wanted to thank you…’ Clovis walked over, attempting to placate him. ‘She doesn’t know who you are, I promise.’ He looked tired. His face was flawless as always, covered with make-up, but his gestures lacked their usual flair. Perhaps he was ill.

‘So you played the role of Elder Brother for once?’ Lelouch sneered. He did not like people who _meddled._

‘Lelouch…’ Clovis sighed heavily.

‘If that is all…’ Lelouch turned to leave, but was held back by a group of high ranking aristocrats, all entirely too interested in the new Duke Kingsley.

*

‘Zero-sama isn’t here?’ Kaguya deflated visibly. She’d looked all over the headquarters for him.

‘He has another life outside of being Zero,’ C.C. replied, sitting quite still in her seat. Around her Ogi’s group was squabbling over something or other. Kallen made a very strange noise of surprise at this statement. She wasn’t quite smooth enough to play it off as a cough and all heads quickly turned to her.

‘You’ve… seen his face?’ she gaped at the green haired woman, mouth ajar. C.C. did not reply.

‘I bet he’s handsome,’ Kaguya sighed wistfully, but did not question his appearance further.

‘Doesn’t that mean he’s cheating on you?’ Tamaki interjected, earning himself a harsh hit in the side  from Ogi.

‘Ah, if C.C.-san is his lover, I don’t mind,’ the little lady replied cheerfully. ‘In fact I’m happy he’s had company while I was away in India. Thank you for always taking care of him,’ she reached out her hand to C.C. who shook it and even returned her smile, much to the surprise of everyone around.

‘Don’t mention it.’

‘Let’s get along well from now on, to support Zero-sama,’ Kaguya held up their still joined hands.

Beside them, Kallen was still staring mutely at the strange scene unfolding in front of them.

‘Kallen-san, are you also…?’ the little lady turned to her next. Behind her, Tamaki howled with laughter.

‘Me? No way, don’t pay attention to that idiot,’ she replied, though her face did turn a little red.

Not long after that everyone was summoned downstairs, where Zero was waiting for them, apparently ready to make an address to the core members of the group. Kaguya made her way to stand beside him quickly, turning several heads as she went.

“The Order of the Black Knights has grown exponentially throughout the last five months. If we want to be able to fight effectively against Britannia, we need to restructure and unify the existing factions within our organization.’ He looked between Ogi who was hiding in a corner and Matsuoka, who was trying to conceal his cough. When the Blood of the Samurai had escaped their hideout, he’d been one of the last to leave, helping the others before running away himself. The smoke from burning coal had severely damaged his lungs, although he went to great lengths to conceal it from the other Black Knights.

No objections were raised, so Zero continued, bringing up a chart on the screen behind him.

‘As you can see, I’ve devised a new structure for the organisation. The vice commander will be Ogi Kaname. The overall in-charge for military affairs will be Toudou Kyoshiro. The overall in-charge for intelligence, including espionage and public relations will be Diethard Reid.’ This did raise some concerns.

‘The Britannian here?’ Tamaki turned to the man with obvious distrust on his face.

‘Zero, I’m not trying to be racist, but what is your reason for intentionally appointing a Britannian?’ Nagisa Chiba spoke up. The other Four Holy Swords nodded in agreement. Toudou was the only one who did not noticeably disagree.

‘Purpose? All that counts is the ability to produce results. As you all know, I am not Japanese either.’ Zero had no alternatives to Diethard either way, the man had a unique set of skills not found in most ex-soldiers and volunteers in the Black Knights. Sayoko could probably do the job just as well, however she was in charge of protecting Nunnally and he wasn’t willing to give that up.

‘Chief of Research and Development will be Rakshata.’ The woman shrugged, unsurprised. ‘The leader of Squad Zero, under my direct control, will be Kozuki Kallen. Each of the Four Holy Swords will lead their own squads, made up of former members from the JLF and the Blood of the Samurai. The Bloody Six will operate as a special force under Kirihara Souza’s command.’

‘Not Matsuoka-san…?’ Akira muttered, but Kagura elbowed him in the side. Souza just looked uncomfortable.

Zero was not done speaking. ‘Finally, overall in-charge for internal affairs will be Sumeragi Kaguya.’

This was a surprise even to her, but she nodded gracefully to accept the position. The Black Knights were growing quickly and did not discriminate between accepting Japanese or Britannian members. The possibility of spies attempting to infiltrate their organisation was high. This was a big responsibility, but one well suited to her skillset. She knew politics and was able to get people to reveal more than they intended to due to her small and unthreatening appearance. She probably knew more about each commander in the Black Knights than Lelouch did, truthfully.

Kallen looked around. C.C. hadn’t been assigned anywhere. Maybe she really was Zero’s… ?

‘As you all know, we aren’t just a resistance anymore. Each one of you has a responsibility to command and fight wisely, even in my absence. If we do not all fight with our lives on the line, we will never win against Britannia! We are the Oorder of the Black Knights!’

With a dramatic flourish of his outstretched hands, Lelouch finished his speech to generous applause.

 


	6. The Land of Hopes

Lelouch extracted himself from the tangle of C.C.’s long limbs and hair, sitting up on the bed. It was still early and she did not so much as stir, sound asleep. Sunlight was only just beginning to trickle in through the curtain.

He turned on the TV, mentally going over the day’s agenda and calculating whether there would be any time left to spend with Nunnally.

_‘3 rd Princess Euphemia Li Britannia has announced today the establishment of “Specially Administrated Zone of Japan” in the area surrounding Mt. Fuji. In this Specially Administrated Zone, Elevens will be allowed to call themselves “Japanese” and any restrictions for Elevens or privileges for Britannians will not apply. Construction of the site will begin next week._

_‘During the announcement, Her Highness Euphemia addressed Zero, the leader of the anti-government organization known as the Order of the Black Knights, imploring him to join the Administrative Zone...’_

_Euphemia!_ Lelouch thought angrily. It was unlikely to be a deliberate move on her part, but with this no matter what he chose to do, the Black Knights would likely be torn apart. Something like this made the goal of forming an independent country in Tokyo pointless. It was just like her to selfishly create something so dangerous. Seemingly convenient, a place from where the Japanese can begin to rebuild, in reality it would never work. Britannia did not acknowledge the Numbers, ever.

A way to reclaim their culture without any risks… it would definitely be popular, especially amongst Honorary Britannians. Kyoto, or rather their public name N.A.C, would probably be forced to support the Zone too. Not to mention, the terrorist cells within all of Area 11 would likely lose support from the public and collapse from within. It would be the end of their fight against Britannia. Even if the Black Knights decided to join, Britannia would use the pretence of peace to force them to disarm. On the other hand, refusing would contradict their public statement of fighting for peace, freedom and equality.  Either choice was perilous.

It was an unintentionally tricky move on Euphemia’s part... or was she not the one who planned this? It was unlikely that anyone else in the Royal Family would support the Zone. Discrimination against Numbers was a national policy of Britannia after all.

*

‘What do you think Zero is going to do?’ Kallen asked worriedly. Beside her, most of the team leaders were gathered. Everyone was waiting for Zero’s decision regarding the Special Zone, but he had not come to the Mobile Base in the last few days.

‘A lot of our members are showing interest in joining,’ Toudou stated.

‘And you’re not?’ Kagura raised her eyebrows, obviously challenging him.

‘We are not nationalists,’ he did not even blink while replying to her.

‘Fair enough,’ she shrugged. ‘It’s not like most of us can go back to a normal life anyways.’

‘There are no risks in the Zone of Japan, unlike in the Black Knights,’ Diethard said from the side. No one seemed to want to sit next to him.

‘Also, the word of a princess carries a lot more weight than that of a masked man, whose identity is unknown,’ Lakshata mused, apparently unconcerned. She was just after data, or so she had claimed. ‘It’s obvious which side is more appealing to the masses.’

‘But it’s not like we can take their word on equality at face value…’ Kallen brought her knees up to her chest and folded her arms across them. ‘Don’t they remember that it was Britannia that invaded our country and still continues to slaughter anyone who calls themselves Japanese?’

‘Well, all we can do is wait for his decision…’ Inoue sighed, bored. They’d been repeating the same conversation over the last few days with no progress.

*

 ‘I’m hurt, Lelouch. Why do you always suspect me?’ Clovis moved his Rook several spaces. In response, the younger prince moved his Knight.

‘Because you insist on hiding things from me,’ he replied coolly. ‘Why are you letting Euphemia do as she pleases in your Area?’

‘Schneizel authorized it,’ that was enough of an explanation. No one could go against Elder Brother Schneizel and win. Even Lelouch was vary of attracting his attention, despite his dedication to fighting against Britannia.

‘The Special Zone of Japan... what a stupid, naïve idea. It suits her perfectly,’ he knocked over his brother’s King, not paying much attention to the game. He’d come here to question Clovis and more importantly to sit down and plan his next move. He couldn’t do so at school, where his friends kept carefully watching him, despite also giving him the cold shoulder. The Black Knight’s headquarters and Mobile Base were far too busy these days. The Viceroy’s palace however, was spacious and quiet. Even his half-brother’s constant presence didn’t bother him anymore. Despite everything, the atmosphere in the rooftop garden made him remember how things used to be, with him always beating his older sibling at chess.

‘She just wants a safe place for her Eleven.. the Lancelot’s new pilot,’ Clovis leaned back in his chair. He wasn’t fazed by losing to Lelouch anymore. ‘It’s not such a bad idea. There would be no more blood spilled. Think about it.’

‘Since when did you care about Numbers dying,’ Lelouch almost snorted.

‘I don’t. But Euphy is kind. She just wants to help in her own way.’

Looking around the rooftop garden, Lelouch did not reply immediately.

‘You recreated Aries Imperial Villa quite well,’ he said eventually. He could acknowledge it now, Clovis’ softer side. He’d always been more sensitive than their other siblings, in some ways he was very similar to Euphemia. He cared about their family and had a keen eye for art. Had the world not broken him, he never would have wanted to hurt anyone. He was vain and self-absorbed, but not inherently cruel. Ruling a country was not easy and he’d had to kill his kind heart to do it. He was trying to protect Euphemia from the same and for that, Lelouch was grateful. 

‘You win, Clovis,’ he sighed. ‘For Euphy and Nunnally’s sake…’

He waited for a reply, but it didn’t come. Clovis was slumped in his chair, pale and quiet.

Lelouch moved over and tried to wake him, shaking his arm roughly.

‘Lelouch…’ Clovis’ eyes were empty and dull, before he blinked heavily. ‘Take this Geass from me. I can’t live like this.’ He begged, clutching at Lelouch’s sleeves. It was utterly startling to see his proud, vain brother like this. A small part of him thought he deserved it, but a far bigger part of him felt guilty. Clovis wasn’t ill, as he had suspected, he was fighting against the Geass and it was breaking down his body from within.

‘I don’t know how. I can’t.’ he said, kneeling beside his brother’s chair. ‘And- how much do you know about the Geass?’

Clovis seemed to fight the order to obey for a moment. ‘I’ve had a group of scientists researching it for some time, even before… this… The Emperor knows about it too, he’s… obsessed with it.’ Then he took in a deep breath. ‘Lelouch, every time I so much as think about disobeying you, my whole body freezes up. It’s _painful._ Make it stop.’ His half-brother’s hands reached out to touch his face, his expression hopeless. ‘Kill me if you have to.’

 ‘No.’ Lelouch wasn’t deluding himself; he neither wanted to nor was capable of killing Clovis. ‘Show me your research on the Geass. If there exists a way of stopping it, I must know.’

This was true for two reasons. Firstly, if anyone out there had a way of circumventing his Geass, it could be disastrous to his plans. Secondly, if there was a chance to release his half-brother from the slow torture his enslavement was inflicting upon him, he would definitely consider it. Over the last few months, Clovis’ health had visibly deteriorated along with his mental capabilities. He was merely a shadow of his old self, who could charm any audience with his acting. While Lelouch still thought it was a fitting punishment for someone who carelessly ordered the slaughter at Shinjuku Ghetto, he also had a difficult time justifying it any longer. He had a lot of blood on his hands, too.

 *

Kamine Island was remote and quiet. The scenery was nothing out of the ordinary, a lot of wild vegetation untamed by civilisation.

Under the disguise of Julius Kingsley, he accompanied his half-brother to a secret lab, where the Gawain had been developed. Lelouch was quite impressed by how much Clovis had managed to hide from Schneizel and the Emperor over the years. It was not so much a laboratory as a well-concealed cave, where computers and Knightmare parts had been set up. It was spacious and mostly empty, staffed by only a few people. In the middle of the cave, stood a large stone altar with a familiar sign engraved in it. It was a weathered Geass mark the colour of dirty, old red, with small vines branching out of it.

‘Your Highness!’ a panicked voice exclaimed and a round, sweaty man with a monocle rushed to their side, wobbling a little from side to side as he ran.

‘General Bartley,’ Clovis greeted him, though it lacked any firmness or interest. ‘This is Duke Julius Kingsley, my trusted advisor.’

‘My Lord,’ the General bowed deeply. ‘It is an honor to-‘

‘Yes,’ Lelouch interrupted him impatiently. ‘What exactly is this?’ he stared at the stone altar, which seemed to be… calling to him somehow.

‘We call it a Thought Elevator,’ Clovis said, motioning for the General to continue.

‘It’s a very complex… device, the exact purpose of which we do not know,’ Bartley punched in a few keys on the nearby computer, flustered. ‘There are several of them around the world, we know of eight locations for certain…’ he looked to Clovis, apparently for permission to explain further.

‘They appear to be connected, like…’ he did not seem to be able to grasp the right words.

‘Like a neural network,’ interjected one of the scientists, a tall black woman with round, curly hair and lips painted bright red. ‘They can communicate with each other.’

‘Thought Elevator…’ Lelouch murmured, walking up closer to the structure, feeling both compelled to and reluctant to reach out and touch it. A strange uncertainty filled him, as if something was _just_ about to happen… but he held back his hand. Beside him, Bartley also considered the stone altar, visibly perplexed.

‘These structures are scattered throughout the world. There is even one on the South Pole…’ he said.

‘They also appear to be connected to something else… the Emperor called it The Sword of Akasha. But we have not been able to access it directly. We can only study the data they send to each other, although we have been developing a system which might allow a Knightmare to manifest within the network.’

 ‘The Emperor’s recent conquests of Europia’s territory were likely done to capture other sites such as this. That is…’ Bartley turned to Kingsley quickly, panic in his small, beady eyes. ‘I did not mean to presume what His Majesty…’

‘It’s alright,’ Lelouch raised a hand to silence him.  ‘What of the Geass?’

‘Well…’ Bartley once again fumbled for words, apparently shocked at his direct address of the secret they’d been protecting for a long time. ‘We had captured a certain individual connected to the origins of the Geass…or we suspected so… who we learned was impossible to kill through conventional means. But unfortunately we… well, we lost it.’

‘She was immune to the Geass and also was able to dispel its effect on others. It took a long time to study her and there was little success with replicating her ability, until recently…’ the same woman spoke up again, tilting her head slightly to the side. ‘It’s fascinating, really. Shame we’ve had no luck in locating her again.’

‘C.C.’ Lelouch breathed. Thankfully no one had heard him.

 *

The arena for the Special Administrated Zone of Japan was enormous, and filled almost completely with Elevens and Honorary Britannians. There were a lot of reporters from all major news networks and many cameras all around the stadium. Some Britannians had even showed up.

On the stage red carpet had been rolled out and in the wip area sat five of Kyoto House representatives. Kaguya was not there, as she was too young to be officially recognised as part of the NAC. Beside them several aristocrats of varying rank were seated, including Prince Clovis and his Knight along with Princess Euphemia. There was a lot of tension in the air, between the Britannian army who despite their orders were apprehensive to recognise the Elevens and the Japanese, who were still not convinced about the sincerity of the Princess’ promises of equality and freedom within the Special Zone.

Unknown to them, not far from the arena several squads of the Black Knight’s Knightmares were concealed amongst the trees in waiting, while Zero went ahead to scout out the situation before giving any definitive orders.

Still uncertain of his next move, Lelouch braced himself for facing Euphemia. Her intentions may have been sincere, but he disagreed with the idea of the SOZAJ on principle.

‘Zero! You came!’ the Princess exclaimed hopefully, rising from her seat and looking up to the sky as he descended, standing on top of the Gawain’s shoulder. ‘Welcome to the Specially Administrated Zone of Japan!’ she opened her arms widely, smiling.

‘Euphemia Li Britannia. I have something to discuss with you after I land.’ Lelouch did not want to respond to her greeting, risking getting caught up in her pace.

She looked confused, but agreed to arrange a private room, despite the protests of Clovis’ Knight and the other security personnel. Stubborn as she was, they did not argue with her for very long.

‘You’re very cautious, aren’t you? There are no cameras here,’ she laughed, leading him into a spacious room behind the stage. He could hear the crowd’s restless and curious chatter, but it was muted and distant.

‘I am a man who has to hide his face, after all,’ Lelouch replied, turning slowly towards her. ‘Euphemia Li Britannia, what are your intentions for this Administrative Zone of Japan?’

‘Intentions…?’ Euphemia faltered. ‘It’s nothing complicated…The truth is, even though I’m a Princess, I’m completely useless. I can’t command an army like Brother Schneizel or fight like Sister Cornelia used to. But with this, I should at least be able to create some smiles. It’s all I can do.’

‘Is this because of this Eleven Knight of yours?’

‘Suzaku…? No, although he is happy about this idea. The one who I wanted to see smile and be free here is you, Lelouch. You are Lelouch, aren’t you?’ Euphemia stepped up to him, her expression hopeful and a little afraid.

 ‘Don’t worry, I haven’t told anyone. I promise.’

‘… When did you figure it out?’ Zero took a step back. He was very uncomfortable under her burning, inquisitive gaze.

‘At Clovis’ party in the Viceroy’s palace... Though I was only sure just now.’ She shook her head. ‘It was just a feeling I had…’

‘Was the kiss on the hand too much?’ he sighed, taking his mask off. There was no possible way he could deny his true identity to her any longer.

‘You used to do that all the time... trying to impress me,’ Euphemia giggled, smiling as she reminisced about the distant past.

'That was a very long time ago.' Lelouch sighed. ‘It’s been eight years since we were cast out of the Imperial Palace…’

'How is Nunnally?' Euphemia asked with concern.

'I'm living with her, but her body is still...' he did not like thinking about the fact she would likely never recover from the trauma their mother’s death had inflicted upon her. Her body was weak and without a significant scientific breakthrough she would never walk or see again.

'I know that you are filled with hatred, Lelouch, but there is a better way! There is no need to sacrifice everything for revenge! Here, in Japan we can go back to how it was before...!' his half-sister’s voice shook with emotion.

'We can't, Euphemia. I'm a murderer who hides his face. I'm sure you know that I was the one who killed Cornelia.' Lelouch did not find it easy to say this out loud to her, but it was the harsh truth.

She only looked at him for along moment, her eyes immeasurably sad.

'I know.' She took a deep breath. 'But I forgive you. I'm sure she has forgiven you too.'

Lelouch stared, temporarily unable to comprehend what she was saying. Of all the naïve, idiotic things…

'Don't... Be kind to me, Euphemia. I don't want your sympathy!' Lelouch's hands automatically balled into fists.

'You're fighting for Nunnally's sake, aren't you... Let me help you, Lelouch!' She reached out to him, but he backed away. Taking out a ceramic gun that he had concealed from security, he pointed it at her chest.

'You won't fire at me, Lelouch,' she smiled. He wished that wasn’t true, but either his hands or his whole body was shaking ever so slightly. He couldn’t hold the gun up straight. Swallowing thickly, Lelouch lowered it and gave his half-sister one last appraising look, judging the best course of action.

'No, I will not shoot, but I will not submit to your naïve whims, either. We will go out there and make the best of this Special Zone, like I promised Clovis. But I will not stop fighting until I crush Britannia.'

'That's okay... We can just start from here.' Euphemia held out a hand to him and, tired of arguing, he took it.

*

Outside, a great shadow covered the stadium.


	7. The Rage of Her Sword

An impressive and threatening number of Knightmares launched from the enormous battleship above. It hovered menacingly in place, casting a deep shadow over the arena.

‘What is this?’ Zero took a step away from Euphemia, turning to look at her accusingly. However she seemed just as confused as he was, fearfully looking up at the airborne fortress in the sky. Clearly she hadn’t known about its arrival until just now, either…

‘Glinda Knights are here!’ someone behind them exclaimed jubilantly just as chaos and panic broke out in the crowd. ‘Terrorists like you should just die!’

It was Darlton, who rushed towards Zero with a gun in his hand. His face was contorted with rage and his eyes shone feverishly with madness.

‘Stop this!’ Euphemia cried, standing between him and Lelouch. She was too late. A gunshot blast ripped through the tense air, momentarily drowning out the sound of Knightmare engines, the screams and even his own startled voice.

Lelouch stumbled backwards, while the world around him was spinning downwards in a blur. An immense pain erupted in his side and he fell to one knee, only vaguely noticing Euphemia’s terrified scream.

Around them, complete and utter chaos took over the arena. Elevens rushed to the exits all at once, trying to escape, but they were stopped by Knightmare frames landing in their path. The Glinda Knights opened fire without warning.

It was a massacre.

*

‘Leave those five alive! We’ll need them as an example to other terrorists in this Area!’

Marybell Mel Britannia had a commanding presence and the Glinda Knights obeyed her every word like slaves. She stood proudly on the stage, unblinking in the face of the bloody massacre she had just ordered. There were no Elevens left alive in sight, even the Britannians amongst the crowd hadn’t been spared.

‘Why are you doing this?’ Euphemia ran up to her, almost tripping over her long dress. She paid no mind to how ungraceful she must have looked; she had just been sick, but still she held herself together despite the tears pricking her eyes. ‘The Special Zone…’

‘Zero is a terrorist, Elder Sister. Even if you want to stoop as low as collaborating with him to recognise the _Elevens_ , I will not tolerate it. Everyone who cooperates with terrorists will be treated as equally guilty,’ Marybell swept her long pink hair aside, looking away from Euphemia. The two half-sisters look so much alike, but in nature, they were as different as water and oil. ‘I will eradicate terrorism from Britannia! And if you stand in my way, I will make an example of you too.’ Her eyes glowed red.

*

‘Any word from Zero?’ Kallen was bored, waiting in her Knightmare. They’d been on standby for hours and hours without a word from Zero.

‘Be patient,’ Ogi chastised her, although he was quite bored himself.

‘What are you guys going to do if he decides to join them?’ Tamaki had been trying to bring up the topic nearly every day ever since the SAZOJ had been announced. Everyone was getting tired of discussing it, merely going around in circles, unable to decide on anything. It all depended on Zero’s next move.

‘I’m sticking with Zero no matter what,’ Kallen’s opinion on the topic was obvious. ‘But I don’t think-‘

‘What the hell is that?!’ Kent exclaimed suddenly. ‘Everyone, look up!’

‘An airship….?’

Kallen turned up her head sharply, eyes easily finding the object of interest.

 ‘It’s massive! I’ve never seen anything like that before!’ she breathed.

‘That can’t be a coincidence… It’s stopping right over the Special Zone.’ Ogi had a very bad feeling about this. ‘Let’s get our weapons ready just in case.’ Everyone agreed at once.

‘Wait!’ Lakshata spoke up over the radio. ‘If you turn on your primary engines, they’ll be able to see you on the IFF. If that ship has long-range missiles, you’ll never even make it to the arena.’

‘What are we supposed to do then..?’ Kallen gripped the Guren’s controls tightly in frustration. There hadn’t been much opportunity for her to actually fight lately.

‘We’re just checking what is- They cut the broadcast?! Let’s put up our emergency line ASAP,’ even Diethard sounded unusually agitated from the other side of the radio. Everone listened in, impatient and anxious.

‘What is this…? Zero’s been shot!’ he gasped a moment later. ‘But... the Gawain is taking him away.’

‘I’m going in!’ Kallen announced immediately, not waiting for permission to fire up the Guren’s engines. The red machine roared to life and she shot forward at full speed.

‘They’re launching Knightmares into the arena! You’ll never make it out alive!’ Diethard shouted into his microphone, his tone urgent and harsh.

‘I don’t care! What good is the Zero Squad if we don’t do anything now!’ Kallen rushed ahead, ignoring her friends’ panicked protests. ‘I have to save him!’

‘Damn it!’ Ogi followed after her, quickly joined by the rest of their team. They couldn’t let her charge in on her own just to die.

‘Wait for orders, Kaname, I repeat, wait for orders!’ Diethard screamed into the radio, but was readily ignored. If Zero had been shot there may be no more orders. They had to fight now.

 

The Glinda Knights outnumbered the Black Knights 15 to 1.  With the Gawain’s weapons operator out of commission, and consequently no orders from Zero, their firepower was severely reduced. It was all they could to barely maintain formation and run. The Guren retreated, protecting the Gawain with Zero inside from enemy fire while the others fired recklessly at the Glinda Knights to keep them away. The Britannian Knightmares did not chase them far, remaining close to the arena where thousands of Japanese were being mercilessly slaughtered.

‘Damn you, Britannia!’ Kallen cursed, choking on her tears. It was too cruel to think about. They had lured the Elevens in with empty promises of equality just to show the entire world that they would not tolerate any sense of national pride or culture within their conquered Areas. There had been children in the arena too.

Skilfully, she reflected projectiles aimed at the retreating Gawain with the radiation wave. There was nothing she wanted to do at the moment more than to strike back against Britannia and to take revenge, but getting Zero to safety was their priority right now.

One of the enemy Knightmares followed further than the others, a modified Gloucester. It charged towards Asahina’s machine, whose retreating back was unprotected. The enemy’s weapon almost reached the cockpit, but Kagura and Akira blocked it just in time, twin swords crossed.

‘Back off, bitch!’ Kagura fired several rounds behind them, not to damage the enemy machine but to block its vision and cut off pursuit. ‘I’ll kill you next time,’ she growled, gripping the steering columns tight.

*

‘Hidenobu Kubouin, Tousai Munakata, Tatsunori Osakabe, Hiroyosi Yoshino and Kirihara Taizo, all formely of the NAC, have been convicted for aiding anti-terrorist organisations in Area 11 and have been slated for execution. Captured by the Glinda Knights in the SAZOJ on suspicion of organising a terrorist attack at the venue…’

‘Bullshit!’ Kagura moved to throw the remote at the tv, but Souza swiftly caught her rising hand. ‘Souza-san..’ she deflated visibly, looking from the image of a bound and helpless Kirihara Taizo to the man’s son. As expressionless and quiet as ever, Souza turned away and left the room.

‘The ones who killed everyone were the Britannian Army’s dogs! How dare they…’ even Akira was also shaking with anger.

‘We should just be glad they let us go…’ Ogi sighed. At least no one from the Black Knights had died. ‘How is Zero..?’ he turned to Kallen who had just entered the room.

‘No change,’ she shook her head, putting her phone down. She had just been talking with C.C. ‘I wonder if…’

‘…If you’d be allowed to stay by his bedside too?’ Tamaki grinned, bringing his hands up to his chest and blinking exaggeratingly. He was doing something strange with his mouth too.

‘Now is NOT the time for this,’ Kallen turned away from him, her voice icy. ‘Aren’t you angry about this at all?’

‘Of course I am! But it’s not like we can do anything about it, right?’ Maybe being obnoxious and loud was just his way of distracting himself from thinking about depressing things. ‘Kaguya’s with him~’ he leered.

‘That’s Lady Kaguya to you,’ Ogi elbowed him, but there was no bite in his voice.

The falsely relaxed atmosphere did not last long however. It quickly became apparent there was no possibility of making a rescue attempt, not without Zero to lead them. Hours passed slowly, with little news of his condition. Everyone was on edge, unable to hold conversation.

On the tv, Princess Marybell Mel Britannia addressed the Elevens, proudly announcing her stance on stamping out terrorism within the Empire. She would neither run nor hide from a fight, should anyone be foolish enough to challenge her army, while searching for any remaining resistance cells and destroying them immediately.

The Glinda Knight’s arrival in Area 11 was only the beginning of her mission, a stepping stone to greater things. With the gigantic airship able to travel around the Britannian territory freely, her reach extended far and wide. This was not just a threat to the former Japanese, but to every resistance movement throughout all oppressed Areas in Euro Britannia and Africa, where they were the most numerous.

The army saluted her proudly, while the Japanese readied to revolt, grief fuelling their anger.

Kallen wanted to avert her eyes when the executioner on tv readied his weapon, but that would only be an insult to their sacrifice. Kirihara Taizou and his companions, at least, died with the dignity of true samurai.

*

At Ashford Academy, Shinozaki Sayoko steeled her heart to carry out a mission given to her in utmost secrecy. It would be far more difficult than anything she had done before, but not because she would have to fight or risk her life.

She handed the phone over to her young mistress, who took it with slightly trembling hands.

‘Nunnally…?’ a weak voice called her from the other end. She recognised the voice immediately.

‘Brother?’ she gasped, clasping the phone with both her hands. ‘Is something wrong?’

‘It’s… a bit complicated, but I want you to go with Sayoko-san, Nunnally. She will be able to protect you.’ Lelouch sounded as though speaking cost him a huge effort, his voice strained and wavering.

‘What do you mean, Brother? Are you hurt? Did someone find out-‘ she bit her lip worriedly.

‘You aren’t safe there anymore, Nunnally. Please…’ Lelouch did not want to lie to his sister, so he could not tell her any more than this. It was difficult, but he’d vowed long ago to never betray her trust.

‘Sayoko-san will take you on a plane. You can escape to Australia, I’ve arranged for a school there to take you in. I… I don’t know when I will be able to see you next.’ His voice caught and there was a sharp intake of breath.

‘Brother, please wait! Don’t leave me alone!’ Nunnally’s voice trembled pitifully and tears fell freely from her closed eyes. She felt so helpless, only able to listen to her beloved brother’s pained voice from far away.

‘I’m sorry, Nunnally.’ The line went quiet, disconnected. Elsewhere, with the last of his strength spent, Lelouch lost consciousness again.


	8. The Undying Wish

‘Zero-sama!’ Kaguya rushed to her husband-to-be’s side, voice quivering with concern.

‘He’s in here,’ C.C. led an unknown man into the dark room, her face as cold and inexpressive as if carved from stone. Immediately protective, the young lady looked up at the stranger with distrust, but after only a second stepped aside.

‘I’m going to have to remove his mask. His breathing is erratic,’ the man said, sitting a large bag beside the bed, and then removed several surgical knives and other medical equipment from it. He did not look up again, focused completely on trying to stop the bleeding.

‘Ah… should I go…?’ Kaguya shuffled to the door uncertainly, clearly torn, but the older woman put a hand on her shoulder.

‘You can stay.’

‘Blind fold me, then,’ the young lady demanded. ‘I won’t use this situation as an excuse to betray his trust.’

‘Such a dedicated woman,’ C.C. smiled and obliged, wrapping Kaguya’s red scarf around her head to cover her eyes thoroughly.

‘I’m just…’ Kaguya’s shoulders drooped and shook her head a little. She didn’t need to say any more for C.C. to understand some of what she was thinking.

‘You are special to him,’ she said, running a hand over the young lady’s long, silky hair. There was a quiet sniffle and Kaguya’s shoulders shook. In a move that actually surprised the immortal woman, she turned around and embraced C.C. desperately, her face wet with tears.

Finding herself strangely moved by the Kaguya’s honest outpour of feelings, the immortal witch wrapped both arms around her in return.

_My dearest wish…_

The silence of the room was interrupted only sporadically by the clinking of surgical tools on a metal tray. It took some time before Kaguya calmed down again.

The gunshot wound on Zero’s side had been treated and dressed already, but he was still unresponsive and somewhat cold. Kaguya took his hand in her own, her small fingers shaking.

Beside her, C.C. looked over him, her face inscrutable.

‘You still have to fulfil our contract…’ she said, then sat down on the bed beside him.

Never letting go of Zero’s hand, Kaguya turned to where she guessed C.C. was.

‘Did you mean what you said earlier?’ her voice was quite steady. ‘Even if I’m just fifteen years old?’

‘What he needs from you and me are very different things,’ C.C.’s gaze on her felt quite cool, almost assessing. ‘I can comfort him, but you can bring him happiness. That’s why… I need you to be there for him.’

‘I don’t understand,’ Kaguya tilted her head a little. ‘Why can’t you…?’

‘All the people who I’ve known… those who hated me… those who were kind to me, have all disappeared into the flow of time. I am… alone. If I were to get any closer to him, I’m afraid I will.. begin to want to live again. It scares me.’ C.C. looked ahead, eyes unfocused. Kaguya could sense something strange about the other woman, but could not name the unusual feeling which always filled her chest whenever she was around. She couldn’t understand any of what she was saying, but it seemed important, somehow.

 ‘There is a price for wielding a power such as his… Slowly becoming isolated from the rest of humanity, stripped of the ability to live in the same time as those around you, even slowly losing pieces of yourself… It might overwhelm him soon.’

C.C. brushed a hand against Lelouch’s pale face and said no more, while Kaguya grasped Zero’s hand a little tighter.  

*

When Lelouch once again resurfaced from unconsciousness, the world was very confusing and blurry. He blinked slowly a few times… He couldn’t quite remember how he got here.

‘C.C.?’ he asked uncertainly, unable to move much. His whole body felt paralysed with sharp pain. The mask had been taken off his face and his clothes changed, judging from the feeling of exposed skin under the blanket. He felt too vulnerable, at another person’s mercy like this. It was pathetic.

‘I’m here.’ Her presence brought some relief to his desperate situation.

Turning his head with considerable effort, he saw her sitting on a chair nearby with Kaguya curled up in her lap, asleep. The girl was blindfolded, which explained the lack of mask on his face.

‘You’ve been shot. Don’t try to move yet,’ C.C. said calmly, but that didn’t stop the sudden panic in his chest. He remembered now, the Glinda Knights had unleashed hell upon the Elevens and Britannians alike, destroying any chance for the SAZOJ to unite the people who had gathered there.

‘The others..?’ his still foggy thoughts turned to Kallen and the others who had been on stand by outside of the arena.

‘Everyone is safe; the Glinda Knights practically let us go.’

‘What?!’ Lelouch tried to sit up, but a sharp stab of pain in his side immobilised him immediately. ‘They let us go…? C.C., order everyone to evacuate the Headquarters! Now!’ he struggled still, but eventually gave up trying to get up.

‘If they did not continue pursuit,’ Lelouch snarled, cursing his own inability to act at such a crucial time. ‘It’s only because they know where to find us.’

*

‘I’m sorry about this…’ Milly smiled apologetically. ‘Having you help with something so trivial.’

‘Don’t worry about that, if I didn’t help Cecile would never stop complaining.’ Lloyd waved her concern off absent mindedly.

 _I see how it is_ , Milly thought bitterly, but still found it endearing to see how hopeless Lloyd was at social interaction. Pleasantries and small talk were not things he ever took the time to bother with.

‘May I at least offer you a cup of tea for your trouble?’ she busied herself with finding a nice set of cups, fed up with just watching him work from the side-lines. Being so polite was tiring, but he _was_ an Earl, despite his eccentric behaviour.

‘Coffee, please. I know nothing about tea and it tends to put me to sleep. Aha! I think I’ve found the culprit behind this malfunction. The Ganymede is a truly fascinating machine, one of a kind even, nothing like the new mass production models –,‘ Lloyd trailed off. He was helping the Student Council restore the schools’ own Knightmare frame – used for festivals and parades. It had no weapons equipped and was really just a pile of junk, but it had at least functioned well until recently.

Milly sat on the wide window sill, gazing at the bright blue sky outside while she waited for him to finish. It was a nice day, exactly how her memories of school life should be.

‘Earl Asplund…’ she began but he waved a hand at her without looking.

‘Lloyd, please. Court rank and title are meaningless here.’

‘About the engagement…’

‘Want to break it off?’ Lloyd looked up at her, his face inscrutable. Suddenly being the centre of his attention was a little startling. He had the same intense gaze usually reserved for his machines.

‘N-no!’ she stuttered, going red on the face.

‘Then we could get married right now!’ he eye-smiled.

‘I have to repeat a year!’ she blurted out. ‘So we can’t.’

‘Ah..’ he didn’t seem particularly fazed by that.

Milly wanted to think that he was at least a little put out, but in truth it was impossible to read his reactions most of the time. It wasn’t as though she wanted to postpone the wedding on purpose. Lloyd had been nothing but kind to her, in his own, odd way. But she’d failed nearly every class this year and only partially because of the multitude of events she’d been busy organising. The truth was, Shirley’s death had really shaken her. For weeks, she remained shut up in her room no matter how much Rivalz had tried to get through to her. It took a long time for her to realise what she had to do in order to move forward with her life.

Now, she wanted to live life to the fullest for her departed friend, who had been a hard worker and more dedicated than anyone. And that meant she could no longer escape her responsibilities or fail classes on purpose.

‘A spring wedding might be nice...’ she mused, moving a stray bunch of hair behind her ear. The sound of gears turning and parts grinding against each other stopped for a moment.

‘I’ll have Cecile take care of preparations,’ Lloyd’s voice sounded just _a little_ more lively than before, even if he didn’t turn to look at her before resuming his work.

Looking outside of the window again, Milly gave a small gasp.

‘What _is_ that?’ she stood up, alert and scared.

On the horizon, a bright pink, almost blinding sphere appeared in the sky, rapidly growing in size. It enveloped nearly everything she could see, before it… disappeared. Along with it, the entire Tokyo Settlement skyline vanished without a trace. It felt like all sound had vanished from the world for a moment, before anyone had a chance to comprehend what had happened.

Lloyd rushed up to the window, his whole body shaking and hands balled into fists.

‘It’s been completed… already? It should have been _me_!’ his voice had an edge to it, an intensity she’d never heard from him before.

‘What was that?’ Milly asked uncertainly.

‘F.L.E.I.J.A…. ‘

*

‘How reckless,’ Clovis buried his face in his hands.

‘With this, all terrorist threats in Area 11 have been eliminated,’ Marybell folded her hands gracefully in her lap. An unassuming, accomplished smile stretched her lips. ‘We will move on to the recently established Area 18 the day after tomorrow. There is a large resistance group in AbuDhabi, it needs to be dealt with swiftly.’

Her Knight, a young woman with golden blonde hair, saluted her perfectly.

‘Yes, Your Highness!’

‘The estimated casualties are above 30 million! Tokyo Settlement might never recover…’ Clovis did not look at his half-sister. ‘A lot of them were Britannians...’

‘In your capable hands, I’m sure Area 11 can struggle by,’ Marybell’s smile twisted unpleasantly downwards and she did not look particularly apologetic. _Massacre Princess_ was fairly accurate… the name the Elevens had given her. She was willing to turn all of Tokyo into a battlefield to weed out a small group of terrorists. True, the Black Knights were troublesome to the Empire in many ways, but they had only an estimated few dozen members. Hardly a good pay off for sacrificing 30 million innocent lives.

Marybell, a petite and charming young woman, had a heart of steel where it came to dealing with terrorism. Her entire life had been spent in preparation for this mission, in pursuit of the strength to strike back against those who had killed her mother and sister. Finally, things were going her way – she had an army of Knightmares at her disposal and her best friend Oldrin as her personal Knight. She’d been able to live up to 2nd Prince Schneizel’s expectations, putting the experimental weapons he’d provided her with to good use. As he had said, what were 30 million lives as opposed to the safety of billions?

The following day the airship Grandberry made ready to set out for another journey abroad. The Order of the Black Knight’s hideout was gone and all of their resources destroyed.

*

‘Your Highness, the car is ready.  We need to set out for the airport soon,’ an attendant said meekly through the door. Euphemia did not reply, instead pulling her knees closer to her chest. The curtains in her room were drawn and she hadn’t moved from the bed for a long time, merely contemplating her purpose now that the SOZAJ had been destroyed. She had lost the only thing she had managed to accomplish with her own power, unable to even put up a fight.

She did not want to leave, but Elder Brother Schneizel had insisted that she needed to return to the Motherland, where she could be better protected. He had heard about the incident with Zero and how she stood in the way of a gunshot, risking her life and immediately sent a private plane to collect her.

She did not regret it. Lelouch was leading a revolution, many people depended on him. Even if she did not like his methods, she would have gladly given her life to protect him. He would be able to do what she couldn’t, to save the Japanese.

She hoped he was okay, wherever he was now.


	9. The Phoenix Takes Flight

Kururugi Suzaku sat restlessly in the cockpit of the Lancelot. In the two years following the destruction of the Order of the Black Knights, Area 11 had been peaceful; there were no reports of terrorist activity to speak of. That meant very little work for the Special Envoy. Lloyd, in a fit of temporary insanity during the time leading up to his wedding, had redesigned all of the Lancelot’s critical systems and weapons. All the scientists around the lab had been insanely busy, but Suzaku as the Devicer had very little to do other than sit and contemplate the sorry state of Area 11’s society.

Zero, presumably dead, had been a symbol of hope for the Elevens. With that taken away in the blink of an eye, all fighting spirit had swiftly abandoned the nation. No one thought or spoke of rebellion anymore, all Elevens and Honorary Britannians were merely keeping their heads down to the best of their ability.

There was an atmosphere of defeat in the air everywhere he went.

3rd Prince Clovis had gone missing around the same time F.L.E.I.J.A. had been deployed. Wild speculations about his fate and possible whereabouts had appeared all over the net, ranging from theories of him being Zero, to people claiming he’d been seen grocery shopping at an underground Eleven market. Each post was more ridiculous than the last.

Regardless of his actual status, Clovis’ absence had made it abundantly clear how lenient of a ruler he had been. While he made no effort to protect Elevens, he had allowed them to use many of the public spaces he’d had built and did not take any action to place additional restrictions upon them.

The new Viceroy of area 11, Governor Calares however, was a puppet parroting the opinions of the House of Lords mindlessly. He imposed serious sanctions on the Elevens for opposing Britannia under Zero’s lead. Most public transport was off now limits to people without a Britannian citizenship and funds for schooling and healthcare for Elevens had been cut in favour of redeveloping the Tokyo Settlement. Quality of life in the ghettos had declined even further, while Britannians enjoyed brandishing their affluence and status far more noticeably than before. Crime rates in the Settlement had dropped to virtually nothing, while in the ghettos Elevens turned on one another for food, shelter and medication. Refrain, a drug which allowed the user to relive the past, spread like wildfire between the young and old alike. Overcrowded, the ghettos were ripe breeding grounds for disease, to which the government responded with suppression by lethal force or quarantine, while doing nothing to help.

Even Honorary Britannians were punished with higher taxes and rising healthcare costs. The new Governor did not see them as any better than the Elevens living on the streets.

Despite disagreeing with the man’s methods, Suzaku sincerely wished Zero hadn’t died. There was no one else capable of giving the oppressed Japanese the strength to keep going.

*

At the Viceroy’s palace, Duke Calares had just finished a meeting with his advisors concerning the search effort for Prince Clovis. No new information had been found, yet. Not that anyone really expected any developments after nearly two years. Personally, he was inclined to write him off as dead.

With a sigh, he returned to the throne room. It was dark and quiet, soothing for his tired eyes.

Someone else was already sitting there, regally spread over the throne as if he belonged there.

‘You…!’ Calares immediately turned to call for his guards, only to realise none of them were in sight. ‘How dare you!’ it took him a moment to recognise the man in the dim lighting.

‘… Julius Kingsley.’ He straightened up, on guard. This man was dangerous.

‘Duke Calares, I see you have enjoyed Prince Clovis’ absence thoroughly. Lining your pockets with the Eleven’s hard earned money instead of using it to aid Area 11’s economic recovery or to control the spread of disease and poverty while thousands die every month. You are a disgrace to Britannia,’ Julius’ visible eye narrowed into a slit while he stared at Calares.

Did this man… have something to do with the Prince’s disappearance? He’d been hiding from the public eye during the last two years, it was too much of a coincidence not to be suspicious.

The Duke took a cautious step back, but felt something brush against is back.

‘Your time is up,’ Zero said from behind him, finger on the trigger of his gun.

‘Zero!’ Calares exclaimed, his whole face now shining with cold sweat. He had no time to think of the connection between Julius Kingsley, Prince Clovis and the Zero. Raising his hands, he stood very still. ‘I’ll do whatever you want- just spare my l-‘

A gunshot straight to the back killed him very quickly. Stepping away from his body, the terrorist turned to the woman silently standing in the corner. He hadn’t immediately noticed her, but she hadn’t interfered with their little performance…. He clearly remembered her as Clovis’ personal Knight. Valerja Rozovsky, a low ranking noble from Euro Britannia. She had beautiful, pale skin and icy blue eyes, as expected of someone his brother had deemed acceptable to spend every day surrounded by.

‘Isn’t it your job to protect him?’ he asked, giving a small nod in the direction of the bloody body at his feet. He turned the gun on her, but she did not react to it, unflinchingly looking directly at him.

‘He was a vile man,’ she replied, no pity or fear in her eyes. ‘You are the real Zero, yes?’

‘Zero is a symbol. What matters is the authenticity of his actions rather than what is under the mask.’ Lelouch smiled to himself.

‘You certainly have a way with words.’

The woman’s eyes narrowed and she drew her sword, apparently reaching a conclusion about his statement. She quickly ran towards him, blade raised, her movements were skilled and precise, stopping only millimetres from slicing his neck open. ‘Where is His Highness Clovis?’ she demanded.

‘You will be delighted to hear that I have no idea. We have people looking for him too,’ Zero did not flinch nor try to back away. Valerja gave him a long, searching look which would have been a lot more intimidating had he not been hiding behind his mask.

‘Hmph,’ she withdrew her sword, but did not put it away. ‘Go before the other guards come,’ she turned away, then screamed shrilly at the top of her lungs to raise the alarm. As expected of Clovis’ knight.

Julius and Zero made their way swiftly through the secret escape passage from the throne room to where the Vincent was concealed. They got into the Knightmare without exchanging a word, watching out for any soldiers which may have been pursuing them. There was no one to be seen or heard, so they set off immediately. It would have been an easy escape had a white and gold Knightmare not appeared to stop them. An upgraded, barely recognisable version of the Lancelot soared through the air smoothly.

‘Their response was too quick… were they expecting this?’ Zero thought out loud. ‘We have no time to entertain him now. Get us out of here.’

Julius removed his eyepatch to reveal a glowing red eye and pushed the machine to its limit, rushing ahead.

‘What... he disappeared?’ Kururugi Suzaku blinked in confusion a moment later. The enemy Knightmare was nowhere in sight.

*

‘Well done, Rolo.’ Lelouch took off his helmet when they returned to the underground hideout. ‘You did well.’

‘Thank you, Brother.’ The other male peeled off the mask of his face. Julius Kingsley’s features morphed, revealing a face very similar to Lelouch’s own. Availing himself of the wig too, Rolo let his wavy brown hair fall down freely around his face.  

‘With this, we can finally put the old plan back in action. It will be a little while before Britannia recovers,’ Lelouch sat back in his usual chair and relaxed. ‘I couldn’t have done it without you.’

His younger brother smiled shyly.

‘The others should be done on their end. After that all the pre-requisite conditions will be cleared. Can I count on your help from now on too, Rolo?’

‘Of course, Brother. After all, I have something I must fight to protect, too.’ The younger man clutched the locket tied to his phone tightly. It was a round, purple gem with a bright pink core which seemed to swirl around inside.

 _It takes so much work just to keep him away from Kaguya and C.C. It’s a good thing he doesn’t seem to know about Nunnally_ , Lelouch thought with a sigh. Still, fake though his sibling may be, they did share the same DNA. Rolo was not a bad person, just one that was somewhat difficult to handle. Their relationship appeared easy and affectionate on the outside, but in truth it was fairly complicated.

It was difficult to judge what would set Rolo off, even on a good day. The Geass was a last-resort back up to subdue him in case anything unexpected happened, though that was a choice Lelouch would not make easily.

 

*

"I am Zero! People of Japan, I have returned! Hear me Britannia! All you who have power, heed my words carefully. I am burdened by sorrow. War and discrimination... Malicious deeds carried out by the strong... The same abhorrent interplay of tragedy and comedy... The world has not changed. The people still suffer. That is why the resurrection of Zero was necessary. So long as the strong oppress the weak, my rebellion will continue to grow. It begins today with the divine punishment I have wrought upon the inept and foolish Viceroy Calares. I shall fight against all those who abuse their power. Therefore once again, here and now, I declare the establishment of the United States of Japan! Starting from this moment, this room shall be the first dominion of the USJ! Race, ideology, and religion will not matter. Being a citizen will have but one requirement: to do that which is just!"

The lights switched off and the cameras stopped recording.

‘Now all that remains is to see if anyone takes the bait,’ Lelouch said to himself, exiting the makeshift stage within the Chinese Embassy from where they had just been broadcasting. His speech had been constructed specifically to get as much attention as possible, even if it was a little on the dramatic side, even by his standards. On the other side of the room, Matsuoka coughed violently

‘Do you think Britannia will dare to attack us here?’ Ogi was sitting on a couch and he clasped his hands together thoughtfully, looking up at Zero.

‘They’ll _try_ … that’s precisely why I have Kallen and Xingke on standby.’ Lelouch sat down beside him. ‘They aren’t ready for all-out war against the Chinese Federation, the recent events proved that. At worst, they might threaten us, but from a diplomatic viewpoint there is nothing they can do without causing an international incident.’

‘I see…’ Ogi clearly did not entirely understand Zero’s confidence in this dangerous situation, but he also did not question it.

‘At any rate, the announcement was merely a distraction for the Britannians. Our real goal is something else.’ Lelouch checked the time on his phone.

‘The Lancelot has appeared!’ Hinata announced, flustered. ‘Kallen has engaged him with the Guren!’

‘Already…?’ Lelouch considered the situation, but did not feel particularly worried over Suzaku’s sudden appearance. His old friend was fighting to change Britannia in his own way, which was _fine_ ,  but Lelouch would not tolerate any obstacles to his plan and the Lancelot was awfully troublesome. ’Stall as much as you can. Either he will be ordered to retreat or we can capture him alive.’ He ordered Kallen over the radio. She yelled back an agreement, quite absorbed in fighting.

  
The new and improved Guren stood on equal footing with the Lancelot. Lakshata had not wasted the time in hiding. Both machines were faster and more deadly than any other Knightmare in the world, their pilots equally as unique.

Extending her machine’s arm, Kallen tried to grab hold of the Lancelot’s body, hoping to use the Radiation Wave on her opponent, but he was too fast, reflecting the silver hand with the side of his sword. In the split second it took for the Guren’s arm to reattach, Suzaku advanced, swinging his weapon from the right. It was diverted forcefully when twin Slash Harkens latched onto the Lancelot’s arm, pulling it aside.

The Lancelot’s systems were all operating at full capacity, but still Suzaku couldn’t find an opening or gain an advantage against the red Knightmare. They circled each other, neither able to land a decisive blow. Nothing would change this way. Recklessly, the Honorary Britannian dove after the Guren, its experimental shield activated, forming a shimmering green cone in front of his Knightmare’s chest. Even if his attack didn’t land, he could just collide with his opponent head-on.

What he didn’t expect was for the Guren to suddenly jump away, taking flight. The ground beneath them shook violently and he was falling helplessly, only narrowly able to escape being crushed by the concrete block which had toppled over under his feet by flying upwards. 

‘My Lancelot!!!’ Lloyd screamed over the radio. ‘Get it away from there! Right now!’

Orders were orders and much as Suzaku wanted to find Zero, he was forced to retreat for now.

Merely moments before, a devious plan had been put into motion by the very man he sought.

*

‘We’re ready, Zero,’ Souza entered the room, looking as dispassionate as he always did. Two years had not changed him much.

‘Do it.’ Lelouch ordered without hesitation.

‘Wait, Lady Kaguya and C.C. still haven’t arrived…’ Ogi stood up, clearly concerned about Zero’s judgement.

‘You heard him,’ Rolo glared at the man impatiently.

It took several moments to execute the plan, from when Hinata relayed orders to their underground operatives to when the program finished executing its last command.  Eventually a loud rumble could be heard from outside. They had successfully disconnected the plates the Tokyo Settlement had been built on, collapsing the entire outer ring. This cut off all ground routes into the city. With Duke Calares dead, they had effectively taken control of the area. Any reinforcements from the Empire would have to be entirely airborne, narrowing their choices down to either Schneizel’s privately developed Knightmares or a small section of the Glinda Knights. Of course, they could deploy F.L.E.I.J.A again from a distance, but the odds of that happening were fairly small. Britannia had faced harsh backlash from most of its citizens for the 30 million lives lost two years ago.

‘Kirihara Souza, I have a special mission for your unit,’ Zero announced, rising from his seat to the man’s eye level. ‘Engage the remaining Britannian forces in Tokyo. Wipe them out!’

‘We’re taking complete control?’ Kagura raised her eyebrows. ‘What about the civillians?’

‘They are of no importance,’ Zero shrugged. It would be a waste of time dealing with them. ‘Most of the city is on emergency lockdown.’

He turned to leave, but stopped mid-step.

‘Do not disturb me unless the situation changes.’ With that, he left, hot blood rushing through his veins.


	10. The World God Only Knows

‘Damned terrorists..!’ Bartley scowled at the television, which showed the now isolated Tokyo Island, under control of the Black Knights.

‘So he wasn’t dead,’ Schneizel tapped his fingers against the armrest of his chair thoughtfully. He was not overly surprised; they had never been able to confirm the Black Knight’s destruction due to F.L.E.I.J.A. erasing all evidence. Zero was obviously baiting them, but why would he make such a foolish move? There could not be any more than a hundred Black Knights in the Chinese Embassy, hardly an army that could stand up against the might of Britannia.

‘Unless…’ he turned to one of the other monitors. ‘The Chinese Federation’s iceberg ship. Of course.’

‘Your Highness…?’  Bartley seemed confused.

‘They have reinforcements, at least several thousand. Send word to the Knights of Rounds,’ Schneizel did not want to rely on them, indebting himself to the Emperor, but this was no time to reject such a powerful tool.

‘The Iceberg ship..? So the coup d’etat in the Chinese Federation WAS Zero’s doing…’ Bartley finally caught on. Schneizel nodded, his eyes narrowing. Zero had spent two years in hiding and now he boldly announced his return to the world. It meant he was ready for _something_ … but what could that unpredictable man be planning?

*

‘Zero-sama!’ a young woman shot towards him, her arms outstretched. Beside him, Rolo stiffened noticeably, looking away.

‘Lady Kaguya..?’ he awkwardly returned the embrace. It had been quite a long time since he’d seen her last.

She had grown taller in the last year and half, and only more beautiful than before. Kaguya’s long hair flowed gracefully around her body and her green eyes shone brightly, so very close to his masked face.

‘It’s been such a long time~’ she released him after a long moment, taking a step back to give C.C. a brief glance. ‘You didn’t send me even a single letter while I was in the Chinese Federation… It was lonely with just C.C. for company.’ She laughed and the immortal woman behind her actually smiled.

‘I apologise, but it was difficult to keep up communication while I was in the E.U. I had to remain in hiding,’ Lelouch said smoothly, surprised to feel a twinge of remorse in his chest at this. It was only a small lie. He had thought of Kaguya not infrequently, but the right words to write to her never seemed to sit right on paper.

Kaguya shook her head. ‘If it’s for the sake of Zero-sama’s plan, waiting two years is nothing! Also, I learned quite a bit of Chinese…’ She was clearly ready to talk more, but C.C. put a hand on her shoulder, immediately silencing the girl. There was some unspoken understanding between them, Lelouch thought, noticing the way they communicated with merely touch and sight. They seemed to be comfortable within each other’s space, their movements synchronised.

‘It’s time, Lelouch,’ C.C. said, stepping up to face him directly. Kaguya’s eyes widened visibly and she turned her head sharply, looking between the two of them. Her mouth fell open a little, but no words came out.

‘There has to be another way,’ Lelouch shook his head too. ‘There’s still time…’

‘What are you saying now?’ C.C. tilted her head, long hair falling smoothly over her shoulders. ‘Are you feeling sorry for me?’ She sounded almost amused.

‘You are my accomplice, C.C. We need to see this through until the end together,’ he said, inching closer to her without thinking.

‘Your eyes… I knew immediately when it happened,’ she replied, unflinching.

Kaguya looked between them both, scared.

‘Complete your part of our contract, Lelouch.’ C.C. looked at peace with the harsh request she was making. ‘You do not need me anymore.’

_…was to be loved._

‘You are a wicked witch,’ he said softly, trying to stop his voice from shaking. ‘But I will fulfil your wish.’

He raised his hands up, intending to remove his helmet, when Rolo held them back, glaring at Kaguya. Lelouch pushed his younger brother away at once.

‘If you _trust_ me, Rolo, you will leave her alone.’ He said evenly.

The younger man backed away, his eyes wide and expression raw with hurt.

‘Of… course, Brother. I’m sorry, Brother,’ he backed away, his feet shuffling lightly along the floor.

Lelouch removed his mask, letting it drop on the ground with an empty thud.

In both of his eyes swirled a Geass, shining brightly.

‘Demon…’ Kaguya breathed. She was clearly taken aback by the reveal of his appearance, but she did not look scared.

‘I see you do remember me,’ Lelouch smiled. ‘It has been a long time since our last meeting face to face, Lady Kaguya.’

‘Lelouch…’ her voice trembled minutely. ‘Of course,’ she sniffled a little, and then her expression cleared. ‘Of course it was you.’

‘You know him…?’ C.C. looked between the two of hem.

‘It was ten years ago, at the Kururugi Shrine… I was mistaken for a Demon of the Forest by a young lady who had gotten lost and in my stubbornness; I allowed her misunderstanding to continue.’ Lelouch reminisced.

‘I’m glad,’ the witch said. ‘You will not repeat my mistakes.’

Kaguya grabbed C.C. hand in her own.

‘I don’t want you to go,’ she pleaded, eyes shimmering with budding tears. The older woman cupped her pale face with her hand, then gently brushed her long hair aside.

‘You are too kind, Kaguya. That’s why you can understand Lelouch’s true nature. Maybe you will be able to do what I cannot. ’ She turned to Lelouch.

‘My time here is finally over. I can die,’ she seemed… relieved. ‘Goodbye, Lelouch.’

She kissed him quickly. It was not passionate, but it conveyed everything between them that could not be said aloud.

By giving him a Geass, C.C. had changed his fate entirely. It was a fearsome and isolating power, able to plant a seed of hatred within even the purest of hearts. It twisted the human nature by allowing them to rise above all others and bend reality to their will. But Lelouch did not despise her for it. Because she stood by his side, he was able to force the world to move forward, to change everything.

To C.C., he was unlike any other human she had known. He was someone who came to love her for herself… someone who could make her smile. Thanks to him her time started to move forward again.

For a minute; or an hour, they were alone in another world, where images and impressions of their feelings blended together into one. The connection between them, the contract binding their souls was stronger now than it had ever been before.

C.C. opened her eyes, returning to reality with only fleeting reluctance then turned to Kaguya and placed a small kiss on her lips too. In return, the younger woman threw herself over C.C.

‘Thank you,’ she said, clinging to her with all her strength. ‘For everything.’

When she eventually released her hold, her face was red and her hands shaking.

Lelouch stepped up, extending an arm to C.C. He was looking right into her eyes, aware of the consequences.

‘Hand over your Code,’ he commanded, grasping the full extent of his power and drawing it forth.

Reaching out to Lelouch, C.C.’s eyes closed slowly. Her entire form shone gently with an ethereal light, extending slowly to envelop Lelouch and eventually the whole room too.  She was smiling.

*

‘Brother!’ Rolo cried, shaking the unconscious man slightly.

Lelouch opened his eyes slowly. His Geass did not activate automatically, but he did not feel any different than before, either. In front of him lay his former accomplice, undeniably dead. Kaguya was cradling her green haired head in her lap, tears silently falling down her face.

‘C.C…’ he reached out, touching her cold skin, when something like a spark of electricity jolted his entire body. He was pushed back forcefully, falling to the floor again.

Flashes of a distant past, images of unknown faces and places invaded his mind, taking hold insidiously. Violent deaths, loves and lives lost... all fading with time. As suddenly as they came, the memories vanished, leaving only a feeling of vast, incomprehensible emptiness in his heart.  

Swallowing thickly, Lelouch got to his feet.

‘I understand now…’ he said, turning away from C.C.’s body. ‘There is only one thing left to do.’

‘I’m going to kill the Emperor,’ he said firmly. ‘The Black Knights have been useful, but the time for war games is over.’ He would have to gamble everything on one move.

‘Rolo… Kaguya…’ he chose his wording carefully out of habit, still used to having a permanent Geass. ‘I have one last request to make of you.’

 

*

‘Prince Schneizel’s entire army... and three Knights of Rounds. I am honoured,’ Zero spoke confidently over the open channel.

At the head of his army, the Gawain had all weapons ready to fire. Behind him, an army of 250 thousand spread out - the Chinese Federation’s most generous _gift_ to him. They were armed only with very basic Knightmare frames, able to fly but armed only with rifles and knives, but their sheer number would be enough to threaten Britannia. The Black Knights were equipped with modified Akatsuki models, which were considerably more powerful. Schneizel’s army, made up of less than fifty thousand seemed like an ant hill in comparison. Lelouch was confident that sooner or later, his older brother would cave in and deploy F.L.E.I.J.A., but if everything went as predicted, he would conclude his plan before that could happen.

Having Rolo pilot the Gawain in C.C.’s absence was unusual, but Lelouch paid it no mind, focused on more important things. In the enemy’s front lines, the Lancelot hovered menacingly. Kallen had already been equipped with a countermeasure for that particular problem. Lelouch trusted her abilities, although he had initially considered using a Geass to ensure she distracted the Lancelot for as long as possible, at the cost of her own life if necessary. Kallen did not need such a burden, her exceptional strong will and loyalty to Zero wold be more than enough to allow her to win this time.

On the other side of the battle, Schneizel considered all the pieces at his disposal on the chess board that was the battlefield.  

The Damocles, holding all the F.L.E.I.J.A. warheads, was not complete yet. If he stalled long enough, they may be ready to launch with only primary systems active, but that was time he could not afford to give Zero. His army would be massacred by then and there would be no point in deploying the flying fortress. Britannia’s military power here consisted of only the Lancelot and the three Knights of Rounds that had been able to come to Area 11 in time. The rest of the army was inconsequential in the face of the Chinese Federation’s army.

Lelouch observed the enemy’s formation carefully. They were trying to spread out their aerial forces. An ordinary strategy so far, but Schneizel made no wasted moves. In response, he ordered his army to spread further to the left, forming a Crescent Formation. In response, one of the enemy squads separated to prevent this from happening.

 _He’s keeping me in check_ , Lelouch thought. Ordering the left flank to retreat, he watched the IFF display show that the rogue squad Schneizel sent ahead had halted its advance. They weren’t taking the bait.

He had to tread very carefully, despite the Black Knight’s impatient remarks on the open channel. Everyone was on edge, confronting Britannia in the open with everything they had worked for over two years at stake. This battle would be decided the instant a weakness was shown. It was like exchanging invisible blows, where neither side was willing to step aside.

After what felt like hours but was in reality merely minutes, they had managed to surround Schneizel’s army, but Lelouch did not feel as though he had gained an advantage. The unit closest to the Gawain was slowly being picked apart, the Knights of Rounds were forcefully creating an opening there. If his Knightmare was isolated it would be the end of his plan.

He had one more card left to play.

‘Draw them out towards the sea!’ he commanded his forces. In one move, everything would be decided. The switch in his hand felt hot.

Once the IFF displayed Schneizel’s army being steadily pushed back, he gave a warning to all of the Black Knights. With a decisive push, he detonated a ship full of liquid sakuradite which was sitting below where the battle was taking place. The explosion lacked the precision or the range of FLEIJA but the destruction it caused amongst Schneizel’s army was considerable. They lost nearly 60% of their machines. His older brother may have thought of them as inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, but now his troops’ morale would fall to rock bottom. The Black Knights suffered some minor losses as well, but no one from the immediate chain of command had been shot down.

‘Check…’ Lelouch said, considering the position of Schneizel’s command vehicle. The Avalon was formidable, but not indestructible. His machine had been augmented for this very purpose – fitted with a shield which had a high precision, high energy output and could, in theory, be capable of breaking through the Luminous Blaze.

‘Xingke, Kirihara, I’m leaving things here to you,’ he steeled himself and rushed forward. All power directed to the thrusters on its float unit, the new Knightmare collided with the Avalon’s shield. It was tough and did not break immediately, pushing Lelouch back along with an unexpected, rouge electrical surge that would probably have killed a normal person. Gritting his teeth as the machine shook turbulently, he finally got through. The Luminous Blaze collapsed around the immediate area and he quickly made his way though. Blowing apart the now unprotected hull was easy enough and he was able to get aboard without any resistance.

On the deck, Earl Kanon reported a breach in their defences. He looked worriedly to the Prince.

‘Zero…’ Schneizel’s polite smile dropped. ‘So he wasn’t in the Gawain…?’

Everyone scrambled to locate the intruder, while the Prince contemplated the situation. He had miscalculated, but all was not lost yet.

‘We should evacuate, Kanon. There is little to gain by remaining here…’ he motioned for the Earl to join him. ‘If we can self-destruct the Avalon we could at least take out Zero…’ It was a cowardly plan, but he held no attachments to the ship. If it eliminated the biggest obstacle to world peace, he would sacrifice anything without a second thought. Coming to kill him personally was a mistake Zero would soon regret.

He was ready to walk away from everything with Kanon at his side, if that was what was necessary.

‘Not so fast,’ Zero stepped through the door. No one had attempted to stop him; all the guards were merely standing aside to let him pass. Two of them rushed to the Prince and restrained Kanon while another held a gun to Lord Bartley’s head.

‘Abandoning your men so quickly? How unsightly,’ Lelouch smiled inwardly behind the mask.

‘This is not a battle we can win without sacrifices,’ Schneizel replied easily, not moving. His eyes travelled only briefly to the side where Kanon gave a cry of pain as his arms were roughly bound behind his back. It could have been disguised as a reflex movement following motion, but Lelouch had seen it and he knew exactly what it was.

‘Kill me if you must, Zero, but you also will not be leaving here alive.’ Schneizel’s voice took on a harder edge for the first time as he looked at the terrorist directly.

‘Kill you?’ Zero laughed loudly and derisively. ‘That was never my intention. Now,’ he removed his mask to reveal his eyes, both shining with the Geass crest swirling in them. The only one who could see his face was Schneizel, whose expression immediately betrayed his surprise.

‘You will obey Zero.’ Lelouch ordered, not giving him a chance to speak and betray his secret.

 _Endure it for a little while, brother_ , he thought. It was not easy to sentence another one of his siblings to the living hell this Geass was, but it was the only way he could keep Schneizel alive.

‘Yes, Zero,’ the Prince kneeled in front of him, not a hint of struggle against his orders.  Placing his mask back over his head, Lelouch exited the room and made his way back to the Knightmare he’d left on the floor below. He did not turn back, uninterested in the desperate cry Earl Kanon gave, rushing to the Prince’s side.

He was about to get back into the Knightmare, when three very unique machines appeared in front of him. Knights of Rounds… finally, he thought assessing their appearance quickly.

The Mordred - Knight of Six Anya Alstreim. The Tristan - Knight of Three Gino Weinberg and finally the Brastius – Knight of Four, Dorothea Ernst. An impressive line-up of the Empire’s foremost fighters. It was lucky that he had no intention of engaging them in battle.

‘Zero-!’ the Knight of Three shouted, the Tristan’s weapons ready. The Brastius blocked his path however.

‘We must take him to His Excellency. Remember our orders,’ Dorothea commanded, although the other Rounds could easily tell it was taking all her self-restraint not to attack Zero. The three machines surrounded him, their weapons still directed towards him.

‘It seems I have no choice but to go with you,’ Zero said. It was his win.

 


	11. The Chosen Legacy

He’d been thrown on the ground in the throne room and stripped of his mask. He got off the floor with as much grace as he could muster.

‘Lelouch Vi Britannia… it has been a long time, my son,’ his father’s voice was as intimidating and forceful as he remembered it. Except that this time, he was not afraid. He was not seven, with delusions of holding any power. He was not here to complain and accuse like a child.

‘Charles Zi Britannia,’ he replied coldly. ‘You knew I was Zero. Was my identity as Julius Kingsley also compromised?’

‘I always knew. Only a fool like you would try to oppose me,’ the Emperor did not give any sign that Lelouch’s cold tone had affected him. ‘And it was all for nothing, Lelouch! Soon, everything will become one and your rebellion will become a meaningless memory. But I can still make use of you.’ He stepped forward, both of his eyes glowing with a Geass.

‘I, Charles Zi Britannia, hereby inscribe new, false memories! You will forget everything about your identity as Zero and as the prince, your relation to Nunnally or Marianne! Your ambition to crush Britannia will end right here, by my hand!’

Lelouch stepped back, a look of surprise on his face. For a moment, he stared ahead blankly.

‘Is that it?’ he said then, his voice ringing clearly with disdain. ‘Geass… is no longer effective against me.’

He could not stop the wicked smile which spread across his face.

‘Did V.V. neglect to tell you…? It would not be the first time he has lied,’ he stepped closer to the Emperor. ‘He was the one who killed Mother.’

‘Lelouch, you foolish child..! This is all for the sake of a better world. A world where no one can lie! Where there is no death or suffering! Are you going to reject the future for which your mother gave up her life for?’ Charles was clearly agitated now, but he still stood proudly, looking down on Lelouch from above. ‘In the new world, even Nunnally won’t suffer! You’d be with her forever!’

‘Don’t… pretend that you care about what happens to Nunnally and me. You abandoned us, not caring whether we lived or died during the war. You condemned her to a life of weakness and fear. She deserves so much more than a fake world where there she would have no future. So yes, I am going to reject this world!’ Lelouch had no regrets about what he was about to do. ‘I, Lelouch Vi Britannia, order you to die.’

For a few seconds, nothing happened as father and son looked into each other’s eyes. Then the order took hold and with a mechanical, decisive movement, Charles impaled himself on his sword. Lelouch watched without pity as his body fell to the floor.

‘Charles!’ someone cried from the door. A boy ran in, his long platinum hair swaying behind him. ‘Charles! No! Charles – you… take my Code. You still have to fulfil our dream, right? Charles, you have to live!’ He hunched over the Emperor’s body, clutching his bloody hands in his own, tears streaming down his petite face.

‘Sorry Uncle, but it’s too late,’ Lelouch said.

‘Lelouch…!’ V.V.’s yes widened almost comically. ‘Kill me! If Charles- if Charles is gone, there is no point in living,’ he cried, rising to his knees from the floor. He swayed in place, the expression on his face raw with heart-wrenching pain.

‘If you are looking for pity, you will get none from me. This is your punishment for crimes. Killing Mother, sending assassins after us… even creating Rolo without Mother and Father’s knowledge. An eternal life alone is precisely what you deserve,’ Lelouch turned away from him.

‘You know about… Rolo?’ V.V. flinched, sinking to the floor again. ‘Then the Order is…’

‘Completely under my control.’ Lelouch began to walk away.

This wasn’t exactly true, but his uncle did not deserve to know what. There was no place for him at the Order anymore.

*

Fleeing to China had been a last resort. Lelouch had been severely wounded and unable to issue commands easily, while the Black Knights had only barely escaped in time with a few of their Knightmares. Lelouch hadn’t wanted to leave Area 11 unsupervised, but with all of his resources gone and many of the Black Knight’s allies killed by F.L.E.I.J.A, there weren’t many options for them to choose from.

They needed time to regroup and to form new plans. China had offered them refuge and reluctantly, they had settled down on an artificial island, where they could freely rebuild the organisation.

Lelouch was not satisfied with just that, however. If he was hiding, it was a good time to investigate and carry out stealthy plans without Britannia knowing.

One thing which he had been greatly interested in, were the other Thought Elevator sites around the world. His father had clearly been planning _something_ with them, even going as far as to conquer foreign areas just to gain control of those secret places. If he wanted to ever win this war, he had a feeling investigating the Geass thoroughly was invaluable. Kaguya and C.C. accompanied him on this mission, while the rest of the Black Knights was tasked with rebuilding their military strength.

This led them to a hidden village where the Geass Order thrived in complete secrecy.

It was cramped and dark, illuminated only by the eerie light emitted by the Thought Elevator at its centre. Lelouch could not believe that several hundred people could have lived there for generations, sealed away from the world.

C.C. had obviously been there before – everyone greeted her with reverence and adoration. The most startling revelation of all was that every person there, man, woman and child, had a Geass.

‘It wasn’t me who granted most of these…’ the witch had said softly, not meeting his eyes. ‘I left nearly fourteen years ago.’

He had been very curious about the circumstances leading to her departure and consequent capture by the Britannian army, but there had been no time to ask questions. He had been introduced to the village’s overseer, an old woman who had a Geass which allowed her to project powerful illusions to others. While V.V. was the official leade of the Order, he was rarely even there. He only used the people who had convenient powers to further his and Charles’ goals, leaving the others to fend for themselves. He had granted many their Geass easily, almost on a childish whim. He did not care about the consequences. There were many there who resented him for the burden, especially the adults who had to remain in hiding their entire lives because he had cursed them with it. While the village was controlled by him, no one was allowed to come and go freely. He would _know._  

There was a sad, subdued atmosphere in the air and Lelouch felt pity for the children born there, who would never see daylight. But they agreed to help him overthrow V.V., divulging a lot of knowledge about the Geass to him at C.C.’s request. They provided clothes and food for them while Lelouch plotted and planned the Black Knight’s revenge against Britannia. Kaguya had become an instant celebrity amongst the villagers, charming them easily with her cheerful personality and light smiles. The three of them lived there for a while, feeling as if the rest of the world had ceased to exist.

It was there he found Rolo – a boy so similar to him that they could be twins. Only his hair looked like Nunnally’s, falling around his face in gentle brown waves. He was a lonely, quiet person who knew only how to kill. He had been trained as an assassin at a very young age and used conveniently by V.V. to eliminate the Empire’s countless enemies. His Geass was very well suited to this task – he had the power to stop time. He could freeze a person at any moment, walk up to them at his leisure and shoot them with their own guns before they even knew he was there.

A fearsome ability, but one Lelouch desired greatly for his future plans. Rolo was starved for affection – with a few well-chosen words, he became obsessively attached to his fake older brother. He would do anything for him – kill others or even himself. He was a volatile weapon, but one that could be discarded if he outlived his usefulness.

This would have suited Lelouch fine, if not for a small complication. The village overseer told him of a secret that only she and a few others were aware of. Rolo was, at least biologically, Lelouch’s sibling. Created from Marianne Lamperouge and Charles Zi Britannia’s DNA, he had been raised in the Order’s village, ignorant of his origins.

Despite logic dictating there was no reason to care about the boy, who was little more than a clone, Lelouch found himself slowly becoming used to Rolo’s presence. He was unstable and even dangerous, ready to kill anyone who got too close to his older brother, but he had a softer side too. He often reminded Lelouch of Nunnally, and not just because they shared the same hair colour.

Even now, he did not truly trust Rolo. He was invaluable to the _plan_ , but his unpredictable nature could just as easily destroy everything. Lelouch did not know exactly what he wanted to do with his troublesome younger brother after everything would be over, but despite everything, he found himself searching for a way to save him in the end.

*

Lloyd Asplund was surprised to receive a direct call from Julius Kingsley, or whoever the man really was.  Still, he answered it immediately. He had been bored senseless since his new Lancelot had been sunk in the sea during the last battle and Suzaku taken away to be Princess Euphemia’s personal knight. Britannia refused to provide funds to recover the machine or to return his Devicer. What a waste that was.

‘I hear you have been working on a counter measure for F.L.E.I.J.A. without approval...’ Kingsley said, diving directly to the matter at hand. ‘I can provide you with the necessary funds and a testing site.’

‘And in return?’ Lloyd _was_ interested, despite the deadpan tone of his voice.

‘You will swear loyalty to our new Emperor.’

‘Are you plotting a coup d’etat?’ the scientist asked conversationally. ‘I don’t really want to be executed for treason, you know. It’d be very counterproductive.’

‘I expect you will have a better answer for me within a week,’ Kingsley cut off the call.

Lloyd, meanwhile, had already made up his mind. He was only after data, who was on the throne was irrelevant. There was science to be done, but he could not move forwards as long as Britannia held his precious Lancelot hostage and refused to fund his other projects.

*

Using his Geass on the three Knights of Rounds waiting outside the throne room on the Emperor’s orders had been easy. They were unguarded against his power, which bound them completely to his will. With them escorting him, he could freely move through the palace to make preparations for the final reveal of his plan. He’d sent out invitations and ensured everyone of importance had come. He’d had his father’s body removed from the throne room, where he’d now gathered most of the Royal family and the capital’s nobility under the pretence of the Emperor making an official address.

Some recognised him, some did not. His half-siblings Guinevere, Carine and Odysseus even dared to pretend to be _glad_ he was alive. Right before trying to order the guards to arrest him. Lelouch merely looked over the crowd with a mocking smile.

‘My name is Lelouch vi Britannia. I have returned from hell and killed my father, Charles Zi Britannia. Thus, I will become the next Emperor.’


	12. The Demon's Prayer

The guards’ spears never reached him, intercepted with minimal efforts by his faithful Rounds.

‘Allow me to take this opportunity to introduce my new Knight,’ Lelouch smiled wickedly for the cameras. The man in question walked out into the open, then took his place beside the throne, standing straight and proud. ‘Kururugi Suzaku, a Rounds who surpasses all other Rounds. I give him the title Knight of Zero.’

He watched with satisfaction as a shocked murmur rippled through the crowd.

‘I see some of you are still confused. Let me put it simply for you,’ Lelouch opened his eyes, revealing the Geass shining brightly from within. ‘Britannia, acknowledge me!’

There were no more objections as everyone in the room fell to their knees in deference to their new Emperor. Guinevere, Carine and Odysseus were in the front row, so Lelouch could clearly see their dull, empty eyes. The Geass had effectively bound everyone in the room to his will.

‘All Hail Lelouch! All Hail Lelouch!’ they chanted like obedient machines.

*

Kururugi Suzaku had visited the Imperial Palace shortly before the Emperor’s address, claiming to have been sent to attend in Princess Euphemia’s stead. Lelouch had expected to have to deal with him sooner or later, knowing how tenacious Suzaku could be when pressured. He had lost to Kallen in the final battle, but he did not look ready to give up yet.

‘Shouldn’t you be with Euphemia?’ Lelouch walked up to him, calmly considering his friend, who had a desperate expression on his face.

‘Lelouch…’ Suzaku stared at him, disbelieving. ‘You’re… here. You’re alive.’ He was clearly putting things together in his head as he spoke.

He drew a gun from his coat, pointing it at Lelouch. He’d managed to hide it from the rigorous security somehow – he’d always been ingenious in the strangest ways. ‘You can still stop this. You will have the throne; you can change Britannia for the better..!’ Suzaku implored him, his eyes searching Lelouch’s for any sign of hope.

He did not answer immediately.

‘You still think you can change this Britannia? Don’t make me laugh,’ he finally resolved on the way to deal with his old friend, focusing his gaze. In his eyes the Geass crest spun to life, blazing.

‘You will become Knight of Zero,’ he commanded. If Suzaku came to hate him, it would only be just. ‘Now, kneel.’ He watched with fascination as his friend immediately obeyed. Lelouch towered over him with a vindictive smile on his face, then yanked the brunette's head up by the hair.

‘Did you forget what happened at the Specially Administered Zone of Japan? Where peaceful negotiation ended with the deaths of 30 million people?’ he snarled. ‘And still you would roll over and conform to the invader’s methods… you were always an idiot but I did not think you were this naïve. No, this Britannia can no longer be changed. It’s going to burn and the whole world with it.’

*

Being Emperor was not easy. Ordering the destruction of the Royal Museum, abolishing aristocracy and liberating the Numbers took work and time, so much so that he barely had the time think of anything else. He was going to destroy Britannia from the inside out, while crushing all powers that would oppose him. The Glinda Knights attempted to fight him, but they were of little consequence now that they had no more F.L.E.I.J.A warheads left. Eventually even Marybell was brought under his control, although she was highly resistant to his Geass. Her own power was too similar, allowing her to fight against his orders. Reluctant as she was to help him, she was forced to command the Avalon as part of his army. Still, that was merely the beginning.

He could not forget his obligation and the _plan_.

Within the first few months following his ascension to the throne, the Chinese Federation surrendered to Britannia. Xingke and Empress Tian Zi knew of the plan and had agreed to cooperate despite the terrible risks involved. They were indebted to him for saving their country from ruin, so there had been no need to use the Geass to ensure their cooperation. Shortly after that, The Middle Eastern Union surrendered to him, followed by Europia. The two years he’d spent covertly infiltrating governments worldwide had not been wasted. The Geass to obey Emperor Lelouch was not something people could resist easily after all.

Kaguya had put up a valiant fight, unifying the two alliances under the United Federation of Nations. Ultimately, it made it much easier to force them to submit under the pretence of “democracy”. The world was brought to its knees country by country before the might of Emperor Lelouch’s armies. The Black Knights were not sure whether to see the new Emperor as an enemy or an ally, unable to act with Zero missing. Lelouch had liberated the Elevens, nullifying their immediate problem with Britannia, but in their eyes he was quickly becoming a dictator who could not be allowed to do as he pleased. Things were falling into place; it would soon be time to advance his plan to the final stage. He wasn’t sure if he was truly ready for that.

In an unexpected but welcome development, the Purist Faction willingly came under his command. A man named Jeremiah Gottwald was their leader and he swore undying loyalty to Lelouch, Lady Marianne’s son. It would have been foolish to reject such a useful ally. Even Earl Asplund had agreed to work with him after the television broadcast of his ascension to the throne. He had figured out the connection between Julius Kingsley, Zero and Lelouch, but that did not seem to bother him in the slightest. He was too preoccupied with quickly delving into the secrets of F.L.E.I.J.A. A counter measure would be the final sign from the new Emperor to the world, announcing that he was its owner. If he possessed both the weapon to destroy it and the shield to protect it with, no one would have the means to oppose him. Lelouch had made sure that he was in possession of every single F.L.E.I.J.A. warhead and that all were accounted for. He would spill a lot of blood, to such a degree that all the hate of the world would be gathered on him alone. He would become an enemy of humanity in both name and reality.

*

‘We now see His Highness Lelouch Vi Britannia, the one and only 99th Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire, also the Second Chairman of the Supreme Council of the United Federation of Nations. Now behold, the fools who opposed His Highness are being transported to the execution spot. In the last war before His Highness achieved the great accomplishment of uniting the world, many important and treasured lives were lost, including Sir Kururugi Suzaku, Knight of Zero and Rolo Vi Britannia, commander of His Majesty’s personal Air Fleet. The terrorists responsible for the cowardly attacks against the Empire have been judged by His Majesty personally and sentenced to death. May glory shine on His Highness Lelouch! All Hail Britannia! All Hail Lelouch!’

There were none who would disrupt the procession. If anyone objected to his rule, they would be shot on the spot. Everything would proceed as planned.

Lelouch sat proudly on his throne, escorted by a numerous armed guard lead by Sir Jeremiah himself. He closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in deeply.

There was an explosion and panic erupted in the crowd.

‘Look at the sky!’

‘Isn’t that..!’

‘Damocles..?’ Lelouch echoed, his hands forming fists so tight his knuckles were bone white. ‘After all this time…’

The flying fortress descended from the clouds in a majestic manner. Knightmares fell from the sky, guns blazing. The army scrambled to intercept them immediately, but everything devolved to chaos.

‘The Black Knights are here to save us!’ some fool shouted, immediately silenced by a nearby guard.

Indeed, their crest was visible on all the enemy machines. Lelouch’s new Knight moved to escort him to safety, but he was too late. A gunshot toppled him over, blood spattering the Emperor’s white robes.  Lelouch stepped over him and tried to run, nearly tripping over, when the Gawain blocked his path. Zero had come, but he wasn’t alone…  Prince Schneizel emerged from the Knightmare after him.

‘Give up, Lelouch. Your dictatorship ends here,’ he said clearly and loudly. ‘You have spilled enough blood.’

Before he had the chance to properly draw his gun, a sharp pain ran though his entire body. It was a familiar feeling… the warm blood gushing from his stomach. Zero ran him through with his sword without hesitation.

The Emperor toppled over, falling from the tall ramp which led up to his throne.

There was that beautiful silence, before the world dissolved to nothing.

*

‘Access to the 99th Emperor, Lelouch Vi Britannia’s funeral has been restricted to family and important personnel only due to security concerns. Several organisations have made public announcements protesting …’

Kallen changed the channel.

‘Princess Nunnally Vi Britannia has been found, enrolled at a private school in Australia. She has agreed to return to Japan…’

She changed the channel again.

‘Following the former Britannian Areas’ liberation, the United Federation of Nations has…’

‘Is that all they can talk about?!’ she turned off the tv angrily then curled up on the bed with her pillow. Her thoughts were a mess. It had been a long time since anyone had heard of the Black Knight’s leader, but she couldn’t forget about him and everything they had accomplished.

‘Zero.. the world has gotten a lot better since then…’ she whispered to herself.

*

‘He isn’t dead,’ Schneizel’s voice assaulted his unsuspecting senses suddenly as he was roughly shaken awake. It was dark and cold, wherever he was. ‘Keep his eyes covered at all times. We lack the means to execute him for his crimes, so permanent imprisonment is our only choice.’

Lelouch was shivering and his heart pounded violently in his chest. It was probably shock. He was still in a lot of pain pain, but strength was slowly returning to his body. He tried to move a little, but someone showed him back to the ground unceremoniously.  His hands and feet were bound tightly. Schneizel knew about his Geass, so he’d been blindfolded as well.

‘I’m sorry, Lelouch,’ someone said. Those were the last words he heard for a long time.

He was left alone in the darkness. Hours passed and eventually he came to the realisation that no one was coming back. They had left him without food or water. Boredom set in, before his body began to shut down, hunger seizing him from inside. Sleep was elusive, uncomfortable and unfulfilling. Eventually he lost track of how many days, weeks or months had passed, able to only lie weakly on the floor. No one came to check on him anymore, now that they knew he could not die.

His body was trapped in a vicious circle, shutting down from hunger and regenerating due to his curse. Consciousness and the hazy world of nightmares that haunted him blurred together, forming dangerous thoughts which swirled like poison in his muddled mind.

He wished only to rot away in the darkness, just for the pain of existing to stop. It was too loud in this silence; his own blood was pumping too loudly through his veins…

Voices, faces, the touch of another person… everything seemed like a distant memory.

_Nunnally…_

*

‘Your Highn..- er- Sir Schneizel, there has been an… incident in the East Ward,’ a distressed soldier reported. ‘All the guards report some strange activity, but… well… no one can quite remember what happened.’

Schneizel considered him for a moment, and then looked down at the chess board on the table in front of him. The last move had been a check, but the King managed to survive in the end.

‘Search each ward thoroughly and account for all valuable things. The intruder might still be nearby so exercise caution,’ the former Prince instructed, clasping both hands below his chin thoughtfully. It was just pretence; the secret, most valuable thing in the palace was likely long gone. He had no intention of raising an alarm, very few knew of the true nature of this place and what it contained. If anyone realised what truly happened that day… the world would again fall into chaos. It was safer just to avert his eyes and let it all go.

It was a relief to be able to think freely again, unburdened by the Geass.

*

She stood on the side of a hill, hands placed impatiently on her hips. Her hair swayed in the wind and the light pink dress she was wearing flowed gently around her ankles. Kaguya was smiling brightly, her eyes reflecting the sun.

‘I was just coming to rescue you,’ she pouted a little. ‘It took some time for things to settle down, but I managed to find a few trustworthy people from the Black Knights together again.’

Behind her stood Kallen, Toudou and the remaining survivors of the Bloody Six.

Lelouch looked around very slowly, eyes narrowed and unused to the light. Long hair covered his face, unkempt and tangled. He felt very weak, barely able to stand, but his heart at least, still wanted to go on.

‘… You waited?’ he tried to say, his voice hoarse and quiet.

‘That was the Geass entrusted to me,’ she smiled, extending her hand to him. ‘Welcome back, Lelouch.’


	13. Epilogue

_2023 a.t.b., June 17 th_

_It has been two years since the Demon Emperor Lelouch Vi Britannia was killed by Zero in a heroic act, freeing the world from his tyrannical rule. The world has changed a lot since then. Money that was once used to run powerful conglomerate firms and propel wars is being used to reduce poverty and starvation. The Britannian Imperial family has stepped down from power, paving the way for a new future, which we can all create together through discussion and democracy. The Order of the Black Knights, once known as rebels and terrorists, have become the core of our new government._

_My memory still has not returned. I am not sad about this; truthfully a part of me is afraid of what I might remember from the past. L.L. always looks at me with those awfully remorseful eyes; I think he knows more than he is willing to tell me._

_He’s getting married today, which is why I’m writing from the Chinese Federation. They invited me to paint a picture before the wedding ceremony, which I am told will be quite a sight to behold. Lady Kaguya has chosen to wear a traditional Japanese dress, called a kimono, which is absolutely beautiful. I’m sure you would love it too. Rolo is in charge of preparations, he’s being unbearably meticulous about every detail, so I am confident everything will go well, even if everyone’s mental wellbeing suffers due to his constant presence._

_Time has passed quickly since we left Japan. I expect to return soon, even if L.L. and Lady Kaguya remain here for the foreseeable future, when I do we could…_

Clovis hesitated for a moment, lifting the pen off the paper.

_Who was I going to send this letter to?_ He blinked slowly, looking over the words which sounded so little like him. Crumpling up the paper, he threw it in the trash and got up, grabbing his easel and paint case. He left the room quickly, not looking back.

**The End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I was hesitant to leave off here but if I continued it'd just be tooth rotting Lelou x Kaguya fluff and that didn't seem to fit in quite right.. haha


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